Three strikes by carrier aircraft against vital
Japanese oil
installations in northern and southern Sumatra;
a
landing by Fleet Royal Marines on the island of Cheduba;
and
bombardment in support of the landing on the northern
end of Ramree
Island, were
among the operations successfully carried out on the
East Indies Station in
January.

2. The main squadrons of the East Indies Fleet
were
stabilized during the month as follows:

3. One or two U boats on passage from the East
Indies to Europe
are
believed to have been the only ones at sea during
January, and the month passed
free of any shipping losses due to U boat action.

4. Force 61, which had sailed from Trincomalee
on 30th
December, arrived at Chittagong
on 1st
January. It was found, however, that since all
the
enemy had left the area, no bombardment was required for
the assault of Akyab.
Accordingly, NEWCASTLE, NIGERIA, KENYA, RAPID,
RAIDER, and PATHFINDER returned to Trincomalee arriving
on 5th
January, while PHOEBE remained on the coast as a Fighter
Direction Ship.

5. NAPIER and NEPAL
continued
to operate in support of the Army. RAPID returned to Akyab
on 9th January.

6. KISTNA
and FLAMINGO left
Trincomalee on 8th January to join NARBADA
and JUMNA, and
for the remainder of the month, these four sloops did
very good work inshore
and up the Chaunga in
support of the Army.

Operation
LENTIL

7. Meanwhile, Operation LENTIL, the first of the
three blows
against Japan’s
oil
supplies, was being carried out.

8. A force under the command of Rear Admiral
Aircraft
Carriers, British Pacific Fleet, Rear Admiral Sir Philip
Vian,
KBE, DSO, and consisting of INDOMITABLE (flag),
VICTORIOUS, INDEFATIGABLE,
ARGONAUT, BLACK PRINCE, CEYLON, and eight destroyers of
the 25th and
27th Destroyer Flotillas, and SUFFOLK left
Trincomalee on 31st
December for Northern Sumatra.

9. On the morning of 4th January,
carrier
aircraft were flown off to attack the oil refineries at
PangkalanBrandan and successfully
completed the operation. Photographic
reconnaissance was also made of port installations at Belawan
Deli, Brandan, and Soesoe.

10. The Force returned to Ceylon
on 7th
January.

Operation
AINTREE

11. H.R.H., the Duke of Gloucester, en route to
Australia
to take
up his duties as Governor General, arrived at Colombo on
9th
January in S.S. RIMUTAKA, escorted by EURYALUS, URCHIN
and ULSTER.

12. Onward escort on 11th January was
provided by
SUFFOLK,
URANIA, and ULSTER, who
proceeded to Fremantle when relieved off south west
coast of Australia by
ACHILLES and two destroyers of the British Pacific
Fleet, these ships
completing the escort to Sydney.

Operation
PASSPORT

13. In this operation – capture by the 26th
Indian Division of a fire base southeast of Minbya
–
very good work in support, both before and after the
landing operations on 12th
January was done by Motor Launches of the Arakan
Coastal Forces. The landing completed, these forces
proceeded successfully to
cut the enemy’s water lines of communications and to
destroyer supply craft. The
49th, 36th, 59th, and
145th
Flotilla took part, with F.T. 14 was Headquarters Ship.

Operation
MATADOR

14. As information was received that opposition
to the
landing on the northern end of Ramree
was likely to
be stiffer than originally anticipated, QUEEN ELIZABETH
(Vice Admiral
Commanding Third Battle Squadron) was sailed from
Trincomalee on 18th
January to increase the weight of the bombardment. She
was accompanied by
AMEER, with 804 Squadron for air spotting and ground
strafing, and the
destroyers NORMAN, PATHFINDER, and RAIDER.

15. REDPOLE and SPEY left Vizagapatam
on 18th
January to screen QUEEN ELIZABETH while bombarding, and
on 20th
January TEVIOT left Vizagapatam
to
relieve REDPOLE.

16. The landing took place on 21st
January, and
p.m. that day her task well completed, QUEEN ELIZABETH
returned to Ceylon
with
NAPIER and REDPOLE in company.

Operation
MERIDIAN

17. On 24th January, the month’s
second attack on
Japanese oil supplies was made, this time in the Palembang
area of
southern Sumatra.

18. The force – which left Trincomalee on 16th
January with orders to proceed to Fremantle on
completion – consisted of
INDOMITABLE (Rear Admiral Aircraft Carriers, British
Pacific Fleet),
INDEFATIGABLE, VICTORIOUS, ILLUSTRIOUS, KING GEORGE V,
BLACK PRINCE, ARGONAUT,
EURYALUS, CEYLON, and eleven destroyers of the 25th
and 27th
Destroyer Flotillas (CEYLON and one destroyer escorted
an oiling force and were
ordered to return to Ceylon on completion).

19. The target for 24th January was
the Pladjoe refinery. Good
results were observed.

20. On 29th January, the force
returned to the
attack, the target on this occasion being the SoengeiGerong refinery on the other
side of the river as the
previously assaulted Pladjoe
installation. Again the
operation was successful.

21. Opportunity
was
taken to stress British naval strength available in the
Far Eastern waters by
publication of names of the units which took part in
this dual operation.

22. In connection with the working up of the
British Pacific
Fleet which preceded Operation MERIDIAN and the Fleet’s
subsequent sailing for
their station, the Vice Admiral Commanding Third Battle
Squadron, has reported:
“It has been a great tonic to the East Indies Fleet to
have had these ships at
Trincomalee and to have worked with them…..I think the
general feeling they
took away with them was that the East Indies Fleet had
given them all possible
assistance within their means.”

Operation
SANKEY

23. During the period covering the two strikes
at Palembang,
Fleet
Royal Marines had made a successful landing on Cheduba
Island. (it is noted that a
“commando” force is incorrectly referred
to in W.I.R. 256 and 257).

25. They were joined on 25th January
by PHOEBE,
AMEER, RAIDER, NORMAN, TEVIOT, and SPEY) and at the
lowering position on D-Day,
26th January, by RAPID escorting Landing
Craft with BYMS and an M.L.

26. The operation was entirely successful and
Force “Wellington”
on
relief by the Army was re-embarked a.m. 31st
January.

27. All the cruisers carried out a short
bombardment in
support of the Army in Ramree
during the period 27th
– 31st January.

28. Sagu
Island was
occupied on 30th January after NORMAN and
RAIDER had neutralized field guns which had repulsed an
attempted landing the
previous day.

29. Force 65 left the Arakan
area
p.m. 31st January after carrying out a final
bombardment on Ramree.

30. The vice Admiral Commanding, Third Battle
Squadron
reports that the participation of the larger ships in
active operations off the
Arakan
Coast has
been a great stimulant to morale.

Fleet
Train to
British Pacific Fleet

31. The following ships left Trincomalee on 25th
January for Fremantle: TYNE,
ARTIFEX, RESOURCE, LEWES, and 7 ships of the 22nd
Minesweeping
Flotilla. LONDON
provided ocean escort and the commercial tanker
BATTLEROCK sailed in company.

All available B.Y.M.S. and M.M.S. have been
engaged in
operations on the Burma
Coast.

2. Clearance sweeps have been carried out in AkyabHarbour,
Hunter’s Bay, and Kyaukpyu
inner harbour.
A searched channel has been established in the
approaches to Kyaukpyuharbour.

3. One moored contact mine was swept in Hunter’s
Bay, eight
in the approaches to Kyaukpyu,
and two in Kyaukpyu inner harbour.

Secret

Eastern Fleet War Diary – January 1945

Appendix II – Shipping

CONVOYS

All shipping continued to run free of trade
convoy
throughout the East Indies Station, there being no
appreciable U boat threat.

ROUTING

The dividing line between East and West bound
shipping know
as the “RUMBLE ROUTE” running from the Western Channel
Light Vessel off the
mouth of the Hughli to Chittagong
was
extended to the Southward to a position off Akyab.
North bound shipping keeping within
5 miles to the eastward and
southbound shipping within 5 miles to the Westward of
this line.

Other than the above change, no change was made
in the routeing throughout
the station.

U.S.S.
GENERAL
MITCHELL and GENERAL RANDALL and troopship EMPRESS OF
SCOTLAND sailed
from Hobart
on 9th
January. H.M.S. LONDON met this convoy southwest of
Fremantle and escorted it
to 4 Degrees South where it was met by H.M.S. ROTHERHAM,
RELENTLESS, and
ROEBUCK. H.M.S. ROEBUCK was then detached and convoy
proceeded to southwest of Addu
Atoll where it split. The American ships escorted by
the first two named destroyers proceeded to Bombay
arriving on 23rd January. The EMPRESS OF
SCOTLAND escorted by H.M.S.
ROEBUCK proceeded to Aden
arriving there on 25th January.

MISCELLANEOUS CONVOYS

Three
troops and 4 M.T. ships
escorted by H.M.S. KALE, AWE, and ROCKROSE, sailed from
Vizagapatam 1st
and arrived Chittagong on 4th
January. One troopship escorted by H.M.I.S. BALUCHISTAN
sailed Madras on 6th
and arrived Chittagong
on 9th.

The
following ships were
employed on escort duties between Chittagong, Akyab,
and Ramree during the
month:

H.M.S.
AWE,
KALE, FLAMINGO, ROCKROSE

H.M.I.S. BALUCHISTAN, BIHAR, CARNATIC, KUMAON, ORISSA

ESCORT VESSELS

During
January,
H.M.S. CRANE joined the East Indies Escort Force.

H.M.S.
TAY
from the Aden Escort Force has sailed to the United
Kingdom for major repairs.

The
following
BATHURST
class
vessels were sailed for Australia on 26th
January to join the British Pacific Fleet:

In their significance as evidence of a return to
a limited
degree of “normality”, two of the outstanding events of
the month on the East
indies Station were the disbandment of the Aden Escort
Force, and the decision
to allow all troopships running between Aden – Persian
Gulf – Bombay and
Ceylon, and all those sailing in the area North of a
line Dar es Salaam,
position 15 degrees South and 50 degrees East, Chagos
and Dondra Head, Ceylon,
to proceed unescorted with the exception of those
carrying large numbers of NZ
or US troops. (See Shipping
Appendix).

2. On the operational side during February,
there was an
extensive photographic reconnaissance of enemy held
territory, and strikes by a
destroyer force against Japanese positions.

3. Continued and most valuable support was given
to the Army
in Burma
throughout the month. M.L.’s
of Arakan
Coastal Forces operated in the Ramree
and Myebon areas. Several
sustained damage and casualties from
enemy shore guns, but in no case were these serious. In
the Ramree
area, sampans carrying troops and supplies have been
destroyers and prisoners
captured. Details of operations in the Arakan
by
Force 64 and Advanced Force W are, for convenience,
tabulated at the end of
this Diary.

5. KHEDIVE, the first ship of the 21st
(Assault)
Carrier Squadron, also arrived.

6. One merchant ship was sunk by U boat action
west of Australia.
There
were no other losses in February, and it is probable
that the U boat
responsible for this sinking was returning to Malaya –
Netherland East Indies area after a patrol off
Australia, where
one ship was sunk in December 1944. There have been the
usual number of
doubtful sighting reports, but the only other U boats
believed at sea in
February were three of four on passage in the Indian
Ocean.

7. The old Controlled Minefield at Colombo
was
fired during the month, and the new Controlled Minefield
and Station completed
and put into operation.

SEARCH
FOR
SURVIVORS

8. It was at 1440Z on 6th February,
in position
34-19S, 99-37E, that PETER SILVESTER (7176 tons) was
torpedoed. She had sailed
from Melbourne
on 28th
January for Colombo
with
175 men, including 7 officers and 100 enlisted personnel
of the U.S. Army.

9. On 13th February, the U.S.S.
CORPUS CHRISTI
picked up 62 survivors including the Captain, and a
further 62 later. By 20th
February, the total picked up was 107. Another 40 were
believed to be in the
area in two boats.

10. H.M.S. SLINGER and SPEAKER, on passage from
Colombo
to Sydney, were
diverted to carry out a search between 13th
and 18th
February. On 28th February, H.M.S. ACTIVITY,
also on passage from Colombo to Sydney, picked
up 20 survivors, and H.M.S. FORMIDABLE, on passage from
Colombo to
Fremantle, was ordered to carry out air search for the
remaining 20 believed
adrift. At this date a total of 127 out of 175 had been
picked up.

DESTROYER
STRIKE

11. On 21st
February,
Force 68, comprising ROTHERHAM
(D 11),
RAPID, ROCKET, and ROEBUCK sailed from Trincomalee to
carry out Operation
SUFFICE – a strike against shipping in the area east of
the Nicobar and Andaman
Islands.

12. Unfortunately, no shipping was encountered,
but a Radar
Station on Great
Coco Island was
bombarded and possibly put out of action during the
withdrawal of the Force to Akyab,
where it arrived on 25th February.

OPERATION
STACEY

13. Under the command of Vice Admiral Commanding
Third
Battle Squadron (Vice Admiral H.T.C. Walker, CB), Force
62 sailed from
Trincomalee on 22nd February to carry out
photographic
reconnaissance of Penang, the Kra
Isthmus between
latitudes 7 degrees North and 10 degrees North, and
Northern Sumatra.

15. Force 61 – R.F.A. ECHODALE and TRENT –
sailed from
Trincomalee on 26th February to rendezvous
with Force 62.

16. Information so far received indicates that
photographic
reconnaissance of the Kra
Isthmus and Penang
was
carried out successfully between 26th and 28th
February. Three
enemy aircraft were shot down by our fighters without
loss.

17. Force 62 proceeded to rendezvous with the
oiling force
on 2nd March and continue the operation.

TO
JOIN THE BRITISH
PACIFIC FLEET

18. NAPIER (D 7) left Ceylon
on 23rd
February for Australia and the
British Pacific Fleet. (Transfer of the 7th
Destroyer Flotilla to
the British Pacific Fleet will be complete when NORMAN
and NEPAL leave
on 1st March).

19. FORMIDABLE also left Ceylon
on 23rd
February for the British Pacific Fleet, after a
fortnight’s working up, during
which were fighter squadrons were rearmed with Corsair
4’s.

OPERATION
‘TRAINING’

20. Force 68, which had arrived at Akyab
on 25th February, was sailed again on 27th
February to
carry out a further strike in the Tavoy
area,
followed by a bombardment of Port Blair.

OPERATION
PHAROS

21. Survey of the west entrance to Cocos
was stated by H.D.M.L. 1376 escorted by Y.M.S. 2005.
H.M.S. UGANDA,
on
passage from Colombo
to
Fremantle, landed stores and personnel at Cocos
and refuelling the
surveying craft on February 28th.
HIND, with BRABAIN in tow, arrived at Colombo on 28th
February having left the Cocos
on the 18th.

CHITTAGONG

22. The sea terminal moorings at Chittagong
were
completed on 28th February.

Sloops and small craft employed at Southern
approaches to Kangaw
beachhead by DaingbonChaung.

FEB.
1stKISTNA
and FLAMINGO
provided harassing fire on Kweguseik.

2NARBADA
joined
Force. L.C.A.’s carried out
landings with patrols of
74th Brigade of the 25th Indian
Division, Min Chaung.
Survey vessel NGUVA came under fire in the vicinity
of Kantaunggyi – no damage

7.JUMNA
joined NARBADA and KISTNA. Tamandu
bombarded by all three. M.L.’s
carrying out offensive patrols DaletChaung. North
Chaung, Kangaw
area, still controlled by enemy.
Naval
Forces subjected to gunfire. No casualties.

8.
Sloops continued bombardment Tamandu.
M.L.’s
patrol DaletChaung.

9.
Bombardment Tamandu
completed. Highly successful.
Small craft blocking
exits to South from Kangaw.
Enemy
activity in Kangaw area
and Min Chaung
(north of Kangaw).

16.
Assault landing North
of RuYwa
with 53rd
Brigade of the 25th Indian Division from Myebon,
a.m. 16th supported by three sloops and small
craft. M.L.’s made
diversion to the northward in the Tamandu
area and surprise was achieved. Guns
in
beachhead area silenced by NARBADA.

18.
2nd
Brigade of the 82nd West African Division
lifted from Kangaw to RuYwa.
First flight of 1200 men plus
equipment and mules.

19.
Sloops continued support in beachhead
areas. Further lift of troops from Kangaw:
2nd
Brigade West Africans and 74th Brigade/25th
Indian
Division all from Kangaw.
Complete control of Kangaw
area gained.

20.
Northern beachhead RuYwa
covered by enemy 4 inch mortar. Some
casualties in craft. Beachhead closed for
period and
build up hampered in consequence. Heavy
shelling on M.L.’s at
entrance to assault Chaung.Heavy mortar fire in area.

22.
NARBADA
received direct hit after. Minor
damage only. She
remained in area.

23.
JUMNA left
for Colombo.
CAUVERY
arrived Akyab from Colombo.

24.
Enemy shelling of assault beaches
continued. Landing of
reinforcements continued by night.
Sloops supported military advance to North and East from
RuYwa.

ESKIMO
and VENUS
were retained by Commodore Arakan
for further
operations.

ENCLOSURES:

APPENDIX 1 – MINESWEEPING

APPENDIX 2 – SHIPPING

Enclosure
to
Commander in Chief, East Indies
Station

Letter
No.
1090/E.I. 1409/OPS dates 31st
March 1945

SECRET

Appendix I – Minesweeping

1. B.Y.M.S. and
M.M.S. continued to operate in support of the offensive
in Burma.
An
additional 14 moored contact mines have been accounted
for, making a total of
25 to date in these operations. It is considered by all
mines swept have been
either J IV, or J VIII type.

2. A check
sweep of Akyabharbour
was
carried out with negative results. It can now be
confirmed that Akyab is
free of mines.

3. Destroyers
were swept into Kaleindaung
River. Later,
the river and approaches were swept with negative
results.

4. The
clearance of Combermere
Bay has not
yet been completed, but operations are continuing.

Enclosure
to
Commander in Chief, East Indies
Station

Letter
No.
1090/E.I. 1409/OPS dates 31st
March 1945

SECRET

Appendix 2 – Shipping

CONVOYS

All shipping continued to run free of trade
convoy
throughout the East Indies Station, there being no
appreciable U boat threat.

After the sailing of Convoys ABF 9 and AJ 9 from
Aden
on 1st
February and of PB 92 from Hormuz on 18th
February, it was decided
to allow all troopships running between Aden – Persian
Gulf – Bombay
and Ceylon to
proceed unescorted. Exceptions had to be made in the
case of these carrying
large numbers of New Zealand or United
States personnel.

After the sailing of MC 15 from Aden
on 24th
February it was decided to allow all troopships sailing
in the area North of a line
Dar es Salaam position 15
degrees South and 50 degrees East Chagos
and Dondra Head Ceylon to
proceed unescorted.

ROUTEING

In agreement with Commander South West Pacific
Sea Frontier
it was decided that as from 1st February
shipping crossing the Chop
line 100 degrees east should revert to the standard routeing
procedure thus eliminating the diversions to Southward
of 33 degrees South
brought into force on 17th November.

In view of the negligible risk of U boat attack
and in order
to speed up shipping it was decided to suspend certain routeing
instructions which had been issued to obtain a dispersal
of shipping and allow
vessels to proceed by the most direct route; this
particularly affected the
passage between Australia and Indian also between Ceylon
– India and South
Africa.

MC.14E
One troopship escorted by H.M.S.
FALMOUTH sailed from Berbera
on 14th and
arrived Kilindini on 21st February.

MC.14F
One troopship escorted by H.M.S.
TEST sailed from Berbera on
20th and
arrived Kilindini on 27th February.

MC.15
Three troopships escorted by
H.M.S. JASMINE and MARGUERITE sailed from Aden on 23rd
February and arrived Kilindini 2nd March.

CX.37
One troopship escorted by H.M.S.
NETRABATI sailed from Colombo on 15th
and arrived Addu Atoll on
17th February.

OW.1
U.S.S. GENERAL J.H. MACRAE and
GENERAL C. G. MORTON sailed from Melbourne on 2nd
February and proceeded unescorted to 5 degrees South
where they were met by
H.M.S. RACEHORSE and REDOUBT who escorted them to
Calcutta where
they arrived on 19th February.

OW.2
U.S.S. GENERAL W.A. MANN sailed
from Melbourne
on 25th
February proceeding unescorted to 5 degrees South
where she was met by H.M.S. SAUMAREZ who escorted her as
far as 7 degrees North
thereafter the ship proceeded independently to Bombay
arriving on 10th March.

WO.
1
U.S.S.
WILLIAM MITCHELL and GENERAL GEORGE M. RANDALL escorted
by H.M.S. RELENTLESS
sailed from Bombay
on 30th
January being met by H.M.S. ROCKET in 11 degrees North.
Destroyers parted company on crossing 5 Degrees South
and troopships proceed unescorted to Melbourne where
they arrived on 12th February.

PA.84
One
troopship escorted by H.M.S. HALLADALE sailed from
Hormuz on 5th
February and arrived at Aden 11th February.

MISCELLANEOUS CONVOYS

A.F.D.17
Towed by tugs LARIAT and INTREGRITY
and escorted by H.M.S. MEADOWSWEET sailed from Cochin on
13th
February being due to arrive Fremantle about 15th
March.

The following ships were employed on escort
duties between Chittagong,
Akyab, and Ramree
during
February:

H.M.S. LULWORTH and SENNEN were ordered to
transfer from the
Kilindini Escort Force to the East Indies Escort Force.

On 4th February orders were given to
the Aden
Escort Force to be disbanded and directing that ships
should join the East
Indies Escort Force.

On 12th February, H.M.S. FINDHORN,
PARRET, AVON,
and
PHEASANT sailed from Colombo to Port
Darwin to join the Pacific Fleet. H.M.S. WOODCOCK was
sailed on a similar
mission on 14th February.

On 16th February orders were given
for H.M.S.
BOMBAY, BENGAL, PUNJAB, KHYBER, ORISSA, KOHILKAND (n.b.
ROHILKAND), and RAJPUTANA to
proceed to Bombay to equip as minesweepers.

At the end of February the following number
of
escort vessels were undergoing refit and major
repairs and were on
passage to or from refit.

Aden
Escort
Force
1

Kilindini
Escort
Force
6

East
Indies Escort
Force
18

____

25

EASTERN FLEET WAR DIARY

Area of operations, click to
enlarge

MARCH 1945

PART I

Anti shipping sweeps by destroyers in the Andaman
Sea, and
completion of the photographic reconnaissance operation
begun by Force 62 at
the end of February, represent the major phase of East
Indies Fleet operational
activity during the month of March.

2. In the Andaman
Sea
operations a number of Japanese supply vessels, and
escorts, were destroyed. Although
there were some casualties, and damage to H.M. Ships, o
ship was lost – as
claimed in a broadcast exaggeration by the Japanese.

3. On the Burma
Coast, the
task of supporting the army virtually ceased with the
capture of Tamandu on 4th
March, responsibility for their
maintenance and movement devolving on to inland water
transport. With the
decreasing naval commitments, opportunity has been taken
to withdraw landing
craft for refit. Some coastal forces were also withdrawn
at the end of the
month.

4. A measure of “artillery “ support which has
been afforded
to the army in the Arakan
is provided by the
bombardment figures covering the period 14th
December to 1st
March. Between these dates more than 23, 000 rounds,
from 4 inch to 15 inch,
were fired by H.M. Ships (see Gunnery appendix).

8. F.S. RICHELIEU rejoined the Fleet on 20th
March, relieving H.M.S. RENOWN. RENOWN had returned on 7th
March
from her refit at the Cape,
but was
subsequently required to adjust her complement and go
home. She sailed for the United
Kingdom on 30th
March.

9. KENYA
and NEWCASTLE also
left the station for the United
Kingdom, the flag of Rear
Admiral Commanding Fifth Cruiser Squadron having been
transferred from NEWCASTLE to CEYLON on 25th
March.

OPERATION
‘TRAINING’

10. Force 68, ROTHERHAM
(D 11),
ROEBUCK, RAPID, and ROCKET sailed from Akyab
on 27th
February and on the night of 1st/2nd
March operated
inshore between Tavoy
Island and Heanzay
Basin. 3
sailing coasters were destroyed and 2 damaged.

12. After the photographic reconnaissance of the
Kra Isthmus and Penang had
been carried out between 26th
and 28th February, Force 62 refuelled
on 2nd
March and then proceeded to a flying off position north
west of Simalur Island. On
4th March a successful
photographic reconnaissance was made of the northeast
coast of Sumatra,
and of
Niass, Simalur,
and Banjak
Islands.

13. The force arrived at Trincomalee on 7th
March.

LETPAN
LANDING

14. On 13th March, a Brigade Group
assault was
made on Letpan, on the Burma
coast. Naval
support included destroyers ROEBUCK and ESKIMO, and the
sloops CAUVERY and JUMNA. Only
slight air and ground opposition was met.

OPERATION
TRANSPORT

15. The second of the month’s offensive sweeps
in the Andaman
Sea –
Operation TRANSPORT – was made by Force 70, comprising
SAUMAREZ (D 26), VOLAGE,
and RAPID.

16. This force sailed from Trincomalee on 14th
March and passed through the Ten Degree Channel on the
night of 15th/16th
march. A sweep was made towards Penang
but
without result.

17. Bombardment of Sigli
was
carried out of 17th March and of Port Blair
on the morning of 19th
March.

18. The force entered Stewart
Sound p.m. on
19th, and destroyed a junk, but came under
fire from one 6 inch, or
larger, gun.

21. The force proceeded to Akyab,
arriving on 20th March. RAPID sailed from Akyab
on 22nd March, subsequently arriving at Colombo
on 27th
March. She sailed for Simonstown on 28th
March to repair damage.

OPERATION
ONBOARD

22. Reconstituted with SAUMAREZ (D 26), VOLAGE,
VIRAGO, and
VIGILANT, Force 70 sailed from Akyab
on 25th
March on a further sweep – Operation ONBOARD – and
entered the Andaman
Sea by Preparis
North
Channel.

23. At 1047FG on 26th March, a
Japanese convoy,
of two merchant vessels, escorted by two submarine
chasers, was sighted in
position 10-36 north, 94-56 east. The convoy was
attacked and destroyed.

24. The RISUI MARU, of 1500 tons, was stopped by
gunfire
from the destroyers and sunk by a R.A.F. Liberator which
had been ‘homed’ by
the force and joined in the attack. In making this
attack, this aircraft hit
the merchantman’s mast and crashed. Two survivors were
rescued.

25. The second merchantman, the TESHIO MARU of
400 tons, was
sunk by gunfire. Of the escort – Submarine Chasers 63
and 34 – one was sunk by
gunfire and the other torpedoed.

26. 5 officers, 45 men, and 7 women were taken
prisoners. Only
superficial damage was sustained by our own ships, which
arrived at Trincomalee
on 29th March.

BURMA COAST BOMBARDMENT

27. The destroyers ROEBUCK and ESKIMO carried
out bombardment
of the Pagoda Point area on 27th March, and
of the Chaungtha area on 28th
March.

28. On 30th March, these same
destroyers, with M.L.s of
the 56th Royal Indian Navy M.L.
Flotilla and 4 M.L.s of the
36th M.L.
Flotilla, made a diversionary raid on Gwa.
Harbour installations were
bombarded by moonlight without
opposition.

OPERATION
PHAROS

29. Survey of the western entrance to Cocos
Island showed
that it is shallower than charted and foul. The
operation is continuing, using
the northern anchorage.

30. The first two ships – a personnel ship
carrying the
advanced party, and a heavy lift ship carrying R.C.L.s
and other heavy lifts – arrived on 22nd March
and were speedily
unloaded after a 48 hours delay caused by bad weather.

APPENDIX 1 – SHIPPING

APPENDIX 2 – MINESWEEPING

APPENDIX 3 - GUNNERY

Appendix 1 – Shipping

CONVOYS

All shipping continued to run free of trade
convoys
throughout the East Indies Station, there being no
appreciable U boat threat

TROOP
CONVOYS

SU.1
Four troopships embarked with
New Zealanders escorted by H.M.S. USK, SHIEL, and ODZANI
sailed from Aden on 21st
March calling at Colombo
29/30th
March en route to Australia where
they are scheduled to arrive 13/14 April. Escorts were
changed at Colombo and the
convoy proceeded by H.M.S. USK and BARLE, while SHIEL
and ODZANI remained at Colombo.

OW.3
U.S.S. ADMIRAL BENSON sailed
from Melbourne
16th
March and proceeded unescorted to 5 degrees south where
she was met by H.M.S.
PENN and PALADIN and escorted to 7 degrees north,
thereafter proceeding unescorted
to Bombay
where
she arrived on 27th March.

WO.3
U.S.S. GENERAL MANN sailed from Bombay and
proceeded unescorted to 7 degrees north where she was
met by H.M.S. RACEHORSE
and REDOUBT and escorted to 5 degrees south thereafter
proceeding unescorted to
Melbourne
arriving 27th March.

WO.4
U.S.S. ADMIRAL BENSON left
Bombay 31st March and proceeded unescorted to
7 degrees north where
she was met by H.M.S. PENN and PALADIN and escorted to 5
degrees south
thereafter proceeding unescorted to Melbourne where she
is due to arrive about
11th April.

MC.15
Three troopships escorted by
H.M.S. TEST, FALMOUTH,
and
JASMINE sailed from Kilindini 4th March and
arrived Durban 12th
March.

A.F.D.18
Sailed from Aden 9th
March towed by tug ENFORCER and escorted to H.M.S. BANFF
for Cochin where it
arrived on 24th March to await onward towage
to Australia.

A.F.D.
20
Sailed from Aden 25th
March towed by tugs EMINENT and DESTINY for Cochin where
it arrived 9th March to await onward towage
to Australia.

A.F.D.
40
Sailed from Capetown 18th
March and arrived Durban 28th
March where it was taken in tow by H.M.S. VERBENA and
proceeded escorted by
H.M.S. TULIP for Cochin.

A.F.D.
53
Sailed from Aden 12th
March towed by tugs ADVANTAGE and BOLD and escorted by
H.M.S. LANDGUARD. The
dock arrived safely at Colombo 28th
March and proceeded on to Vizagapatam
towed
by BOLD and escorted by H.M.S. SHOREHAM. H.M.S.
LANDGUARD and tug ADVANTAGE
remained at Colombo.

The
following
ships were employed in escort duties on the Arakan
Coast during
March:

H.M.S.
AWE,
LULWORTH, SWALE, BANN, ROSEBAY, DERG, THYME, ROCKROSE

ESCORT VESSELS

At the end of March, the following numbers of
escort vessels
were undergoing refit and major repairs, or were on
passage to or from refit.

Kilindini
Escort
Force
7

East
Indies Escort Force
22

____

29

Five
returning
from refit were usefully employed escorting M.L.’s
and docks.

Appendix
2 –
Minesweeping

Auxiliary minesweepers working on the Burma
Coast, having
completed their operations, were released on 20th
March to return to
rear bases for repairs, refitting, and working up in
modified ‘L’ sweeping.

2. In the operations for the period under
review, a total of
27 moored contact mines were swept.

3. It is intended to work up all Royal Indian
Navy Bangors and Bathursts
in minesweeping
and to form them into a flotilla of fleet minesweepers,
Royal Indian Navy
Bassets being used as attendant danlayers.

Appendix 3 – Gunnery

In
support of the Army on the Burma Coast during the period
14th December to 1st March, the
following ammunition was expended.

With Air O.P. or Naval Aircraft
Observation

Calibre

No. of bombardments

Rounds
fired

15"

2

70

6"

11

1590

4.7"

10

860

4" Mk.V

6

560

4" Mk.XVI

16

178

___

___

TOTALS

45

4860

With
F.O.B. Observation

6"

4

70

5.25"

3

140

4.7"

5

160

4" Mk.V

23

1180

4" Mk.XVI

31

2230

___

___

TOTALS

66

3780

With
Direct Observation

6"

1

30

5.25"

3

460

4.7"

13

930

4" Mk.V.

8

1060

4" Mk.XVI

16

2520

___

___

TOTALS

41

5000

With
no observation except previous registration

4.7"

2

160

4" Mk.V

5

800

4" Mk.XVI

86

8540

___

___

TOTALS

93

9500

(note: Numbers of
round fired are
approximate to the nearest 10).

Enclosure
to
Commander-in Chief, East Indies Station’s 1733/E.I.
1490/45 of 25th May 1945

SECRET

EASTERN FLEET WAR DIARY

Area of operations, click to
enlarge

APRIL 1945

PART I

The climax of the Allied campaign in Burma
was
heralded by the decision, made at the beginning of
April, to launch a seaborne
invasion of Rangoon.

2. D Day was fixed for 2nd May, and
details of
the landing operations must find their place in the
Diary for that month. But
on 30th April, a bombardment and fighter
strike against the
airfields of Car Nicobar, and a bombardment of Port
Blair, were carried out as
part of operations planned to cover and ensure the
success of the landings in Rangoon
River. A
destroyer patrol was also established in the Gulf of
Martaban, and submarine patrol in the
southern
Malacca Straits.

3. Earlier in the month, destroyers had carried
out further
offensive sweeps in the Andaman
Sea. On the
west coast of Sumatra,
photographic reconnaissance of great importance was
combined with an anti
shipping sweep and air strikes against enemy occupied
ports.

4. The month saw continued absence of U boat
activity.

5. ATTACKER and TARTAR (D 10) joined the
station. TROUBRIDGE
(D 24), TENACIOUS, and TERMAGENT left the station on
transfer of the 24th
Destroyer Flotilla to the British Pacific Fleet.

Operation
PENZANCE

6. Force 62 – ROTHERHAM
(D 11),
RACEHORSE, REDOUBT, and ROCKET sailed from Trincomalee
on 30th April
and a.m. 2nd April carried out reconnaissance
of Narcondam
Island, to
investigate its suitability as a fuel and ammunition
dump for Coastal Forces.

7. On the nights of 1st/2nd
and 2nd/3rd
April, the Force swept the Tenasserim
coast between Mergui and
Amherst, sinking 1 – 100 foot auxiliary coaster
and 1 junk. Bombardment of the Radar Station on Great
Coco Island was
carried out on 4th April. The Force arrived
at Akyab
on 5th April.

Operation
PASSBOOK

8. On 7th April, Force 62 sailed from
Akyab, and between 9th
and 11th April
operated between Moulmein
River and Mergui, and in
the Hastings Harbour
area. During
these operations, 5 Mergui
type sailing craft were
sunk and 18 Burman
survivors picked up.

9. At dawn on 11th April, 6
Liberators of 222
Group sighted 1 merchant ship, escorted by 1 submarine
chaser, in position 9-00
North, 93-40 East. Both
vessels were sunk by aircraft.
Force 62 reached the area in the afternoon and proceeded
to pick up 62 Japanese
and 6 Sumatran boys in Japanese uniform. The Fore
arrived at Trincomalee on 13th
April.

11. The force sailed from Trincomalee on 8th
April. The original intention was to carry out the
photographic reconnaissance,
beginning on 12th April from a flying off
position west of Padang.
Anti
shipping strikes were to follow.

12. This programme
had to be re
cast when EMPEROR’s
catapult broke down,
necessitating the postponement of the photographic
reconnaissance for two days.

13. According, on 11th April, QUEEN
ELIZABETH, RICHELIEU,
and LONDON
bombarded Sabang, while
SAUMAREZ, VIGILANT, and
VERULAM bombarded Oleelhoe.
No shipping was present
at Sabang, but the
destroyers damaged a small
coaster, which was already beached.

14. The Force was subsequently attacked by a
force of 10
enemy aircraft, 2 of which were shot down by our
fighters.

15. On 12th April our ships re
fuelled from Force
70 and LONDON
was
detached to Simonstown to re fit.

16. Force 63 then proceeded to operate off the
west coast of
Sumatra,
and photographic
reconnaissance was carried out as planned on 14th
and 15th
April with almost complete success. One of our aircraft
was lost. One enemy
aircraft was shot down by our fighters.

17. An air strike was made on Emmahavn
on 16th April, hits being scored on a
4000 ton
merchant ships and the marine workshops. Our
fighters shot down one more
enemy aircraft and 3 were damaged on the ground. VENUS
and VIRAGO,
meanwhile made a sweep between the outlying islands and
the mainland, from Ayerbangis
Bay to Natal
Road. 6 junks were sunk.

18. The force arrived Ceylon
on 20th
April.

Operation
DRACULA

19. Following the decision to make a sea borne
assault on Rangoon,
steps
were immediately taken to assemble the necessary ships
and craft at Akyab and Kyaukpyau.

20. With the exception of one or two vessels,
which, however
arrived in time for the first convoys, the Force was
assembled by 25th
April, under the command of Flag Officer, Force W – Rear
Admiral B.S.C. Martin,
CBE, DSO

21. D Day was fixed for 2nd May. The
slowest
convoy sailed for Rangoon
on 27th
April and the main convoy on 30th April. The
latter including H.M.S.
LARGS (wearing the Flag of Flag Officer, Force W),
H.M.S. PHOEBE as Fighter
Direction Ship, 4 L.S.I.’s,
2 transports, and
H.M.I.>S CAUVERY and SUTLEJ.

26. Short endurance ships of the Force 63
fuelled about 200
miles west of Car Nicobar on 29th April. The
Force then proceeded
via the south BattiMalv
Channel and carried out a bombardment and fighter strike
against the airfields
of Car Nicobar at dawn on 30th April. Port
Blair was similarly
bombarded in the afternoon of that day.

27. During the Port Blair bombardment, TROMP
suffered 1
fatal and 6 other casualties. Near misses from ashore
batteries were thought to
account for these casualties, but subsequently they were
attributed to a
‘premature.’

OPERATION
GABLE

28. On 27th April, Force 62 – ROEBUCK
(Broad
Pendant of Commodore A.L. Poland, CB, DSO, DSC) –
Commodore (D)), RACEHORSE,
and REDOUBT also sailed from Trincomalee, and p.m. on 29th
April
established patrol in the Gulf of Martaban with the
object of intercepting
small craft between Rangoon and the Tenasserim
coast.

29. At about 0220 FG on 30th April,
the Force
destroyed 10 small craft (ranging from 50 to 80 feet)
which were proceeding
from Rangoon
to Moulmein and
contained about 750 Japanese troops. The Japanese
displayed strong suicidal
tendencies and were left in the water.

APPENDIX 1 – SHIPPING

APPENDIX 2 – MINESWEEPING

Appendix 1 – Shipping

CONVOYS

All shipping continued to run free of trade
convoys
throughout the East Indies Station, there being no
appreciable U boat threat.

CW.4 USS GENERAL
LEROY ELTINGE and USS GENERAL R.B. CALMAN sailed from Melbourne
13th
April and proceeded unescorted to 2 degrees south there
they were met by H.M.S.
ROCKET and escorted to Calcutta where
they arrived 26th April.

MISCELLANEOUS
CONVOYS

A.F.D.
40
Continued
it passage towed by tug PRUDENT and escorted by H.M.S.
TULIP to Cochin
where
it arrived 30th April.

A.F.D.
39
After
many delays owing to no Admiralty tugs being fit not
available for towage AFD
39 left Durban 7th April towed by S.A.R.
& H. tug HOY and
escorted by trawlers NORWICH CITY and COVENTRY CITY.
H.M.S. LOCHY left Durban
on 9th
April to hold the tow whilst the tug fuelled at Beira
and
thereafter proceeded as Senior Officer, Escort. Meantime
PRUDENT having taken
over tow of AFD 40 from corvette VERBENA it was decided
that H.M.S. VERBENA
should take over tow from HOY at Kajunga.
This was
carried out on 22nd April and dock continued
on its way to
Trincomalee towed by H.M.S. VERBENA and escorted by
H.M.S. LOCHY. HOY and minor
escorts returned to Durban from Majunga.

A.F.D. 18 & A.F.D. 20 as Convoy
WO.4A This party
commenced their long tow to Darwin from Cochin on 9th
April in tow
of tugs EMINENT, DESTINY, ADVANTAGE, and CHEERLY whilst
harbour
tug EMPIRE SAM was in company towed astern of one of the
docks. Escort was
provided by the frigates HELFORD and PLYM en route for
the British Pacific
Fleet. On 14th April, EMINENT had a serious
fire in engine room and
was towed back to Colombo
by
CHEERLY who subsequently rejoined convoy on 18th
April. Refuelling en route
was carried out on 27th by
EAGLESDALE en route for Fremantle. With the tug power
halved progress has been
very slow and arrival at Darwin is not
anticipated until end of May.

A.F.D.
55
Towed
by EMPHATIC and escorted by H.M.S. ROSEBAY left Aden 21st
April for
Trincomalee where they are expected to arrive about 11th
May.

DUMB HOPPERS
Two hoppers towed by tugs EMPIRE JENNY
and EMPIRE BARBARA and escorted by SNOWFLAKE left Aden
4th
April for Karachi
where
they arrived 13th April.

30 ton Crane Towed
by H.M.S. NIGELLA and escorted by H.M.S. ODZANI left Colombo
30th
April for Trincomalee and arrived 1st May.

SPECIAL
Damaged
submarine SIRDAR left Fremantle 6th April
escorted by H.M.S.
MEADOWSWEET and after refuelling
at sea from EAGLESDALE arrived at Trincomalee 23rd
April.

REDUCTION
OF
KILINDINI ESCORT FORCE AND RE ALLOCATION OF SHIPS
ON EAST AFRICAN COAST.

In order to make
better use of escort vessels in view of the negligible U
boat threat and to
augment East Indies Escort Force, it was decided to
transfer the remaining YOKE
cutters and sloop FALMOUTH
from
Kilindini to Colombo,
together with the frigate H.M.S. TEST, the latter
transferred from South
African Station by Admiralty’s 012325 April. In order to
combat any U boat
threat that might arise a small striking force of
corvettes remain based either
end of the Mozambique Channel
at
Kilindini and Durban
respectively.

ARAKAN
COAST FORCES

The following ships were employed on escort
duties on the Arakan
Coast during
April:

At the end of April the following numbers of
escort vessels
were undergoing refit and major repairs or were on
passage to or from refit:

Kilindini Escort
Force
4

East Indies
Escort
Force 12

___

16

SPECIAL
OPERATIONS

A number of the vessels employed on the Arakan
Coast escorted convoys of Landing Craft from Indian
Ports to Kyaukpyu for
forthcoming operations.

Appendix 2 – Minesweeping

The 7th M/S Flotilla arrived on the
station
during the month, with the exception of SQUIRREL, which
has been delayed in the
United Kingdom.
After
a few days devoted to working up, these ships proceeded
to Akyab
ready to take part in the Operations on the Burma Coast.

2. The Royal Indian Navy Bangors
and Bathursts – together
with 4 Bassets to be used as
danlayers – have been formed
in to the 37th
M/S Flotilla. These ships have been working up at Mandapam
and nine of them, with their 4 dan
layers, sailed to Akyab to
take part in minesweeping operations.

3. All BYMS and MMS have been undergoing
repairs,
maintenance and docking after their recent operations in
the Arakan, and have since
been preparing and assembling for
further operations.

4. Eleven “LL” whalers of the 157th
and 177th
Auxiliary M/S Group are being prepared for return to
trade.

SECRET

EASTERN FLEET WAR DIARY

Area of operations, click to
enlarge

MAY 1945

PART I

Opening with the successful assault of Rangoon,
the
month of May was to prove the most eventful to date in
the record of the East
Indies Fleet.

2. If the almost total lack of opposition during
the Rangoon
operations
robbed the assault of its impressiveness – from the
point of view of
a public unappreciative of the underlying details of
preparation and organisation
– compensation followed in the attempt of a
Japanese NACHI class cruiser to sortie from the Malacca
Straits and in its
subsequent destruction.

3. This interception of the enemy cruiser
involved splendid
cooperation between all arms of the Service and with 222
Group Royal Air Force
culminating in a spirited action by the 26th
Destroyer Flotilla in
the best traditions of efficiency.

4. Fleet operations to cover the Rangoon
assault
had begun at the end of April and were continued with
effect throughout the
first week of May. Air strikes were also carried out on
the Tenasserim
Coast, and
surface patrols established to prevent any evacuation of
the Andaman
Islands by small craft.

5. During the month, H.M.S. SHAH joined the East
Indies
Fleet as a ferry carrier from the United
Kingdom.
H.N.M.S. TROMP
left Trincomalee to be attached, temporarily, to the
United
States 7th
Fleet.

6. No U boat has surrendered on this Station
following the
surrender of the German armed forces.

7. The ever decreasing submarine threat in this
theatre has
made possible a reduction in anti submarine defences.
The fixed defences at
Kilindini, the island bases,
and at Karachi,
are
being removed and stored. Defences
in Ceylon and at
Indian East Coast ports are also shortly to be reduced.

8. Routine A/S and M/S patrols have been
discontinued, and
vessels thus freed are being transferred to more active
service or returned to
trade.

9. Black out restrictions have been lifted off
shore, and
all shore navigation lights, except in newly occupied
territory, operate on peace
time standards. Other shore defences
on the Station have been reduced concurrently to
conform to the scale of enemy attack.

10. Meanwhile, in order to build up strength in
the east, a
steady reduction of the rear bases in the western area
of the Station has been
taking place. Some of the main reductions effected, or
being effected, are listed
in an Appendix to this Diary.

Operation
DRACULA
(Object: Capture of Rangoon by Amphibious Assault)

11. The assault was carried out on 2nd
May by the
26th Indian Division mounted from Arakan
ports by Force W, under the command of Rear Admiral
B.C.S. Martin, CBE,
DSO.

12. Assault convoys had arrived at the lowering
positions
during the night 1st/2nd May, with
the exception of
minesweepers and survey craft under the command of
Captain A. Day, CBE, RN
(Naval Commander, Force 65) who arrived p.m. on 1st
May to sweep and
mark the channel to the lowering position for the
remainder of the force.

13. Fighter protection for the assault convoys
and for ships
in this assault area were
provided by a Carrier Group
under the command of Commodore G.N. Oliver, CB, DSO
(Commodore Commanding 21st
Aircraft Carrier Squadron). The group consisted of
H.M.S. ROYALIST, HUNTER,
STALKER, KHEDIVE, and EMPEROR, and the destroyers
SAUMAREZ (D 26), VENUS, VIRGO,
VIGILANT, with H.M.S. PHOEBE as fighter direction
ship.

14. Accompanying the assault force were H.M.I.S.
SUTLEJ and
CAUVERY. There was no supporting bombardment by ships as
geographical and tidal
conditions necessitated this being done entirely by the
Royal Air Force.

15. A Ghurka
Battalion made a
parachute drop in the Elephant Point area on 1st
May, and captured
the coastal batteries with very little opposition.

16. Leaving the lowering position at 0200 on 2nd
May, the first waves of landing craft touched down at
0700 at Sadinghmut and Kyauktan
Creek. There
was no opposition, and the buildup at these bridgeheads
was cancelled as soon
as it became clear that the Japanese had left Rangoon.
The
first troops landed in Rangoon Town at 1700
on 3rd May.

17. One L.C.T. was mined in the Rangoon
River and was
lost. H.M.S. SILVIO was mined on 8th May, but
remained seaworthy.

18. Prior to the assault, H.M.S. BLACKMORE had
carried out
weather reporting duties to the eastward of the Andamans
and H.M. S/M STRONGBOW to the westward of the Nicobars.
The weather during the assault was, generally, calm, but
heavy rain curtailed
flying operations and bogged down heavy gear at the
beach heads. The lateness
of the good weather season was demonstrated by a cyclone
near the convoy route
on 3rd May. As soon as they could be spared,
all major landing craft
were withdrawn to Indian ports in order to be clear of
the lee shore before the
south west monsoon became established.

19. Naval Officer in Charge, Rangoon,
assumed
duty on 10th May. On the
withdrawal of
Flag Officer Commanding Force W on 11th
May, Captain D.C. Hill,
assumed operational command of the naval force in the
Rangoon area with the title of Naval Force Commander, Burma.

Operation
BISHOP
(Object: To provide cover for the Rangoon Assault)

20. Force 63 under the command of Vice Admiral
H.C.T.
Walker, CB – and consisting of QUEEN ELIZABETH (BS 3),
RICHELIEU, CUMBERLAND
(CS 5), SUFFOLK, CEYLON, TROMP, ROTHERHAM (D 11), TARTAR
(D 10), VERULAM,
NUBIAN, PENN, EMPRESS, and SHAH – followed up its
strikes against Car Nicobar
and Fort Blair on 30th April, with a second
bombardment of air
strips at Car Nicobar on the morning of 1st
May, and at Port Blair on
2nd May. The force then proceeded to their
covering position for
operation DRACULA in the North
Andaman Sea.

21. Aircraft of the force bombed and drove
ashore an 80 ton
coaster in the Tavoy
River on 3rd
May and on 4th May strafed Mergui
and Victoria Point
airfields. On 6th May after a short
bombardment of A.A.
defences, aircraft from
H.M.S. EMPRESS and SHAH attacked
shipping in Port Blair harbour.
Two 100 feet ships,
one tug, one junk, and one jetty were set on fire. One
of our Hellcats was
lost.

22. H.M.S. QUEEN ELIZABETH carried out a
bombardment of a 6
inch gun position at Stewart
Sound on the
afternoon of 6th May, four hits being
observed in the gun pit.

23. Throughout the whole of Operation BISHOP, no
enemy air
opposition was encountered. The force arrived at
Trincomalee on 9th
May.

AIR
STRIKES ON TENASSERIMCOAST

24. The carrier group under the Commodore
Commanding, 21st
Aircraft Carrier Squadron, was released from the Rangoon
area on
4th May, and on 5th and 6th
May carried out
air strikes between Mergui
and Victoria Point. Five
barges were sunk, and two junks, believed to be carrying
oil, were left in
flames. Jetties and warehouses at Mergui
were bombed
and strafed. The group then returned to Trincomalee
arriving 9th
May.

25. On 10th May, H.M. S/Ms STATESMAN
and SUBTLE,
two of three submarines on patrol in the Malacca
Straits, both reported
sighting one Japanese cruiser of the NACHI class, with
single destroyer escort
proceeding north westward. There was also considerable
anti submarine activity
by submarine chasers.

27. STATESMAN, a.m. on 12th May,
reported the enemy
cruiser and destroyer retiring south eastward – probably
due to the sighting,
by Japanese aircraft on the morning of 11th
May, of units of Force
61 to the westward of the Nicobars.
To avoid, if
possible, being sighted again, Force 61 then proceeded
to a position about 200
miles southwest of Achin
Head, North
Sumatra, and Force 70 was ordered to rendezvous
with Force 61
for refuelling.

28. It was appreciated that if Japanese aircraft
made no
further sightings of the East Indies Fleet unit, the
enemy cruiser might make a
second attempt to sortie.

29. P.M. on 13th May, at the request
of Flag
Officer Force 61, all available ships were sailed from
Trincomalee to re inforce
him. These ships – H.M.S. NIGERIA,
ROEBUCK,
RACEHORSE, and REDOUBT – were formed into Force 62.
H.M.S. ROCKET, who
was escorting a south bound troopship in the vicinity of
2 degrees North, 85 degrees
East, was ordered to leave her convoy and
rendezvous with Force 62 on 14th May. Force
67, consisting of H.M.S.
PENN and R.F.A. OLWEN, was also sailed from Trincomalee
on 13th May
to proceed northeastward and meet any need for a second
oiling force.

30. Force 62 met Force 61 at 0700 on 15th
May.

31. At 1050 on 15th May, in position
06-55 North,
96-50 East, the enemy cruiser and destroyer were
sighted, retiring south
eastward, by an Avenger of 851 Squadron (H.M.S. SHAH),
operating from H.M.S.
EMPEROR, since SHAH had a defective catapult. Almost
simultaneously the enemy
was sighted by a Liberator of 222 Group, one of six of
these aircraft who were
just beginning a parallel track search. This
Liberator shadowed the enemy until about
1400 (the Avenger had previously sighted and attacked a
small merchant ship
escorted by a submarine chaser, about 15 miles to the
north westward of the
cruiser).

32. At 1500 a strike by three Avengers resulted
in one
probable bomb hit and one near miss being scored on the
cruiser, which was then
steering 090 degrees. This was the last sighting in
daylight.

33. The nearest H.M. ships at 1500 were the 26th
Destroyer Flotilla – SAUMAREZ (Captain M.L. Power, OBE,
DSO, RN),
VENUS, VIGILANT, VIRAGO, and VERULAM – who were 240
degrees, 85 miles from the
enemy steering 110 degrees at 27 knots to intercept
after dark. Heavy ships and
escort carriers were all to the westward of Sabang.

34. At about midnight
on 15th
May, the 26th Destroyer Flotilla located the
enemy cruiser by radar,
and after a period of shadowing attacked independently
but simultaneously with
torpedoes from different bearings at close range. About
eight hits were scored,
and the cruiser was seen to sink at about 0100, 16th
May, in
position approximately 45 miles southwest of Penang. The
enemy destroyer was also observed to be damaged by
gunfire.

35. Damage and casualties in H.M. ships were
confined to
SAUMAREZ, who had two ratings killed and one boiler room
put out of action
whilst under fire from the cruiser.

36. The fleet subsequently concentrated north of
Sumatra.
At
daylight on 16th May, reconnaissance flights
were made from Puket
southward into the Malacca Straits.

37. Several air attacks by some five enemy
fighter bombers
were made on the fleet. These attacks were not pressed
home, but a near miss on
VIRAGO at sunset, caused damage above her water line.
Her casualties were four
killed, and eight seriously injured. Two of the
attacking aircraft were damaged
by our fighters.

38. Forces were reconstituted on 17th
May, and
half the fleet and Force 67 returned to Trincomalee. The
other half remained at
sea in approximately 3 degrees North,
90 degrees East
until 19th May. They then returned to
Trincomalee, arriving, 21st
May.

39. H.M.S. PHOEBE, who had been patrolling off
the South
Burma coast since 12th May (refuelling
periodically off China
Bakir
River
entrance) established a patrol, on 16th May,
halfway between Port Blair
and Mergui to deal with any
attempt by small craft to
evacuate the Andamans
towards the Tenasserim
coast.

40. H.M.S. PHOEBE was subsequently reinforced by
H.M.I.S.
SUTLEJ and CAUVERY from Rangoon.
These
ships formed Force 69, and were given the duty of
attacking shipping between
the Tenasserim coast and
the Andamans,
and on the Tenasserim coast
between latitudes 10
degrees and 15 degrees north.

41. One boat, containing four Indian or Burman
fishermen, who were evacuating Port Blair, was
intercepted on 20th
May. According to the statements by these fishermen the
food situation in Port
Blair was then acute.

42. The Tenasserim
coast, between
the limits given above, was patrolled in daylight
without sign of any enemy
activity on the sea or in the air.

43. While Force 69 operated in the North
Andaman Sea, 222
Group of the Royal Air Force operated against shipping
in the South Andaman Sea. Liberators
of the Group destroyed two small merchant ships – one by
depth charges –
between Sabang and the Nicobars,
on 22nd May.

COASTAL
FORCE
OPERATIONS IN THE SOUTH
BURMA

44. After taking part in the initial assault on
Rangoon,
M.L.s of Coast Forces
carried out regular patrols in all
main waterways south of a line joining Bassein
and Rangoon. Several
enemy craft were shot up on 2nd/3rd
May and were later
found abandoned. On 5th/6th May Bassein
Creek was searched as far as China Bakir
without any
enemy craft being sighted.

45. A patrol established in the Sittang
River Estuary on 9th May, with the object of
countering any Japanese
attempts to escape eastward, was withdrawn after two M.L.’s
had foundered in a tidal bore. There were, fortunately,
no casualties.

46. On the nights of 15th/16th
May, four M.L.s
attacked and destroyed
8 heavily armed supply craft and killed 80 Japanese. One
of the M.L.s suffered
damage from gunfire and ramming, and one
rating was killed.

47. On 22nd May, Bassein
was entered by two L.C.P. (L) s (with a small armed
guard embarked), who had
proceeded there via the inland water route from Rangoon.
Their
progress was hailed with enthusiasm all along the route.
A follow up party of
450 troops, embarked in L.C.M.s,
and accompanied by M.L.s,
arrived at Bassein on 26th
May.

48. In the Irrawaddy
River patrols
were established between Henzada
and Mau-Bin, while
blocks were established from Mau-Bin to Bassein.

APPENDIX I – SHIPPING

APPENDIX 2 – MINESWEEPING

APPENDIX 3 – REDUCTION OF REAR BASES

Appendix I – Shipping

CONVOYS

All shipping continued to run free of trade
convoys
throughout the East Indies Station, there being no U
boat threat.

TROOP
CONVOYS

OW.5
USS GENERAL CREELY sailed from
Fremantle 11th May and proceeded unescorted
to the Equator where she
was met by H.M.S. RELENTLESS and escorted to Calcutta
where
she arrived 20th May.

WO.4B
R.F.A. AORANGI escorted by H.M.S.
ODZANI left Trincomalee 8th May for Fremantle
where the AORANGI arrived
18th May. ODZANI was detached at about 20
degrees south by C.S.W.
PAC. S.F. to join convoy WO DOCKS 4A proceeding to
Darwin and
which arrived at that port on 24th May having
left Cochin on 9th
April.

WO.5
USS GENERAL LEROY ELTINGE and
GENERAL R.B. CALMAN sailed from Calcutta 9th
May where they were met by H.M.S. ROCKET and escorted to
Trincomalee for
fuelling where they arrived on 11th. Convoy
continued on 12th
escorted by ROCKET (n.b.
pencil addition “to 13th”) as far as
the Equator whence it
proceeded unescorted to Fremantle arriving 20th
May.

WO.6
USS GENERAL CREELY sailed from Calcutta on 27th
May where she was met by H.M.S. RACEHORSE and escorted
to Trincomalee for
fuelling where she arrived 29th May. On 30th
May convoy
left Trincomalee and GENERAL CREELY was escorted to
position SW of Ceylon after
which she proceeded independently for Suez, C.N.O.
Washington having requested that this ship be routed via
Mediterranean.

MISCELLANEOUS CONVOYS

A.F.D.
55
left Trincomalee 25th
May towed by EMPHATIC and was joined on 27th
by H.M.S. TEST as
escort for passage to Rangoon. ETA is
3rd June.

A.F.D.
49
sailed from Aden 16th
May towed by FLARE and escorted by SNOWFLAKE for
Trincomalee where they are
expected about 6th June

REDUCTION OF CORVETTES TO CLASS
‘C’ RESERVE

Admiralty in 29 1956 intimated that if Commander
in Chief,
East Indies Station had no further use for them on this
station corvettes
GENISTA, MARGUERITE and VERBENA of the South Atlantic
Station were to be sailed
for United Kingdom
and
reduced to Class ‘C’ reserve. These instructions are
being complied with.

At the end of May the following numbers of
escort vessels
were undergoing refit and major repairs or were on
passage to or from refit:

Based
Kilindini
1

Based Colombo
13

__

14

H.M.I.S. GONDWANA had become A/S training ship
at
Machlimar.

TRENT:
LOCHY:
SIND and SPEY have had
engine defects
that have kept from in operative most of the month and
SPEY is being sailed to
the United Kingdom
for
reduction to reserve.

Appendix 2 – Minesweeping

Ships of the 7th and 37th
M/S
Flotillas took part in the sweeping of the approaches to
the Rangoon
River ahead
of the assault forces, with negative results;

2. BYMS and MMS carried out initial clearance of
a three
cable channel up the river to Rangoon,
donating
23 Allied magnetic ground mines. Three more mines were
detonated by
other craft.

3. After clearance of the three cable channel,
all
minesweepers, except three BYMS, were withdrawn to rear
bases. Whilst these
remaining three BYMs were
engaged in widening this
channel, a further 8 ground mines were detonated.

4. The 6th M/S Flotilla arrived on
station during
the month, and are boiler
cleaning and having defects
made good in readiness for working up exercises at Mandapam.
The 7th M/S Flotilla, who returned to Colombo
from Rangoon, will
on completion of boiler cleaning, etc, also exercise at
Mandapam.

5. The 37th M/S Flotilla is being
prepared to
undertake the clearance of the deep minefield in the Strait
of BabEl
Mandeb,
off Perim.

6. BYMS and MMS are returning to Mandapam
where they will be made ready for further operations.

Appendix 3 – Reduction of Rear Bases

Some of the main reductions effected, or being
effected, are as follows:

Addu Atoll
Reduced to status of re fuelling base
only. The R.N. Air Station is closed and R.A.F. and Army
personnel are all to
be evacuated.

Persian
Gulf
Base
at KhorKwai
placed in care
and maintenance. General reduction
of Naval Commitments at Persian Gulf
ports.

Mauritius
General
reduction of commitments. R.N. Air Station transferred
to R.A.F. Use
of Grand
Port
discontinued

Seychelles
Port War Signal Station and D/F Station
closed, and oil fuel pipe line not required. Boom to be
recovered and stored.

S E C R E T

EASTERN
FLEET WAR
DIARY

PART
II

Review
of Period November
22nd 1944 – May 3rd
1945

1.
The
entry into Rangoon
on 3rd
May, of troops put ashore by the Royal Navy, may be
regarded as ending a phase
of the East Indies Fleet’s Offensive.

2.
That
the fall of Rangoon
should
have coincided with the surrender of the German armed
forces in Europe gives
to the former event a strong claim to be regarded as a
very satisfactory operation
with very limited resources. If the release of naval
units is made possible by
the ending of the European war, an increase in naval
strength in this theatre
may not be impossible.

3.
The
Fleet’s Activities have, in the period under review,
been directed towards
three main ends:

(a). The denial of the
Indian Ocean
to the Japanese and, therefore, the cutting of supply
lines to her armies in
Burma, and to such garrisons as exist in the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.

(b). The
destruction of war potential (with the accent on oil) of
shipping, shore and harbour
installations, workshops, etc.

(c). Close support of
the Army in Burma
in that
period of the campaign – the fighting in the Arakan
–
where circumstances made such support both eminently
possible and desirable.

4.
The
major part of the task under head (a) has been shared by
submarine and
destroyer forces. The success of our arms in Burma and
the
conditions of deprivation under which, it has been
established, the Japanese in
the Andamans are now
existing, are testimony to the
effectiveness of their work.

5.
In
the course of regular anti shipping sweeps in the
Andaman Sea and off
the west coast of Sumatra,
destroyers have sailed with impunity with sight of the
enemy held coast, and
have met with little or no opposition, apart from
spasmodic air attack.

6.
If
the supply vessels which have been, and are being
destroyed are not of great
tonnage, it is because the enemy has no sizeable vessels
left for service in
South East Asia – or is forced to rely
on small
landing craft, not daring to venture into seas where we
have established
supremacy.

7.
The
first and only appearance of any major Japanese warship
in this theatre during
the period – the sortie of a NACHI class cruiser from
Singapore – was
brief and disastrous for the intruder.

8.
Under
head (b), valuable work has been done by our carrier
borne aircraft, backed up
by bombardment forces which have included battleships,
cruisers, and
destroyers.

9.
The most successful air
strike of the period was that made
against oil refineries at Palembang, Sumatra, in the
latter half of January, when great damage was inflicted
on installations
that had
previously been a major source of supply of aviation
spirit. This strike ws
carried out by most of the powerful carrier-force yet
sailed from Ceylon –
including as it did, H.M.S. ILLUSTRIOUS,
INDOMITABLE,
INDEFATIGABLE, and VICTORIOUS. The force Joined
the
British Pacific Fleet after the operation.

10.
Photographic
reconnaissance, while must of necessity be denied public
recognition, has also
been very effectively carried out by naval aircraft.

11.
Operations
in the Arakan – which
comprised ‘a campaign within a
campaign’ – involved the participation of all types from
ships from landing
craft to capital ships. While the main job of the naval
units was to land and
lift men and supplies, cut the enemy’s lines of retreat,
and bombard enemy
positions, a multiplicity of other tasks were imposed by
circumstances. From
these “emergency calls” and from the fact that the whole
campaign was conducted
in the closest possible cooperation with the Army and in
waters that are a
treacherous maze, invaluable lessons were learned for
the conduct of any future
operations of the like nature.

12.
Briefly,
the picture now represented by the naval situation
followed the unopposed entry
into Rangoon,
is of
the western area of the Station virtually free from
threat of any kind and of
little surface opposition elsewhere, while all available
strength is being
prepared for the first important strikes in the next,
post Burma, phase.

EASTERN FLEET WAR DIARY

Area of operations, click to
enlarge

JUNE 1945

PART I

Although June as uneventful by comparison with
May it was,
nevertheless, not without a certain measure of
successful activity.

2. A strike by
carrier borne aircraft against Japanese airfields in
north east Sumatra
–
following successful photographic reconnaissance over
southern Malaya – was
attended by particularly satisfactory results.

3. Other operations
involving employment of fleet units were restricted to
anti shipping sweeps
between Nicobar Islands
and Sabang, and maintenance
of control on the east coast of the
Andamans and on the Tenasserim
coast.

4. The 11th
Aircraft Carrier Squadron – H.M.S. VENERABLE (Flag of
Rear Admiral C. Harcourt,
CB, CBE), VENGEANCE, and COLOSSUS accompanied by the
destroyers TYRIAN and
TUSCAN arrived on the station, and a programme
for
the training of air crews during the month that the
squadron was to be in
Ceylon and South India, was agreed upon and put into
effect.

5. The Commander in
Chief, East Indies Fleet – Admiral Sir A.J. Power, KCB,
CVO
– was present at the Victory Parade and Review at Rangoon
on 15th
June.

OPERATION
ADOPTION

Object
–
Maintenance of Anti Shipping Patrols in NorthAndamanSea

6. On 1st
June CEYLON relieved the PHOEBE as Senior Officer Force
69 - which had been constituted in May – and
patrol was maintained by CEYLON and either two or three
sloops on the east
coast of the Andamans and
on the Tenasserim
Coast until 12th June, when CEYLON left
patrol for Rangoon.

7. The code word
ADOPTION and Force 69 lapsed on 15thJune,
patrol was subsequently being maintained by one sloop
only. The sloops engaged on this duty during the
month were CAUVERY, GODAVARI,
KISTNA and NARBADA. The frigate LOSSIE also spent
8 days on
patrol.

8. Further evidence
of the conditions of privation existing in the Andamans
was obtained when KISTNA,
on 4th
June, intercepted a small boat containing 3 native
convicts. These men stated that they had been
allowed
to fish off Port Blair by the Japanese owing to the
shortage of food in the
islands and that they had been driven by the weather to
the Tenasserim
Coast.

9. On the 8th
June, KISTNA
sighted about 15
large sampans drawn up on a beach on PuloMyang in the Gregory Island
group, Forrest Strait, and
destroyed the larger part of them by bombardment.

10. No enemy activity
was observed on these coasts throughout the month.

OPERATION
IRREGULAR

Object
– Anti
Shipping Sweeps by Destroyers in Great Channel

11. Force 65,
comprising the 10th Destroyer Flotilla –
H.M.S. TARTAR (D 10),
ESKIMO, NUBIAN, PENN, and PALADIN – sailed from
Trincomalee on 5 June to attack
shipping between the Nicobar Islands
and Sabang. On the
same
day, Force 64, consisting of frigate TEST and R.F.A.
OLWEN, was sailed from Rangoon to act
as a fuelling force to the westward of the Nicobars.

12. H.M.S. PALADIN
was detached on 7th June to proceed to the Batu
Islands, off
the west coast of Sumatra,
to
carry out a special operation. Later it
was also necessary to detach the PENN in order that one
destroyer should be
maintained in the vicinity of these islands.
In the course of these duties, H.M.S. PENN, on 12th
June,
destroyed a Japanese landing craft containing about 20
men.

13. During the night
of 7th/8th June, Force 65 (less
PALADIN) carried out a
sweep between Great
Nicobar Island and Sabang
without result, and refuelled
from Force 64 on the 9th.

14. On the morning of
11th June, H.M. S/M TRIDENT, patrolling off
Diamond Point, reported
a northbound L.S.T. escorted by a submarine
chaser. Orders were given for 6 Liberators of 222
Group, R.A.F., to begin a search at dawn on the 12th,
but TARTAR,
NUBIAN, and ESKIMO came up the enemy ships off Rondo
Island, about 20 miles
north west of Sabang,
shortly after daylight on the
12th, and both were destroyed by gunfire and
torpedo. The L.S.T. type vessel was found to be an
auxiliary of about 1500 tons.

(n.b.
15 skipped)

16. While retiring to
the westward during the forenoon the destroyers were
subject to intermittent
bombing attacks by a few aircraft, but suffered neither
damage nor
casualties. All ships subsequently
returned to harbour, H.M.S.
PENN, leaving the Batu
Islands on 14th
June and PALADIN p.m. on the 15th.

18. The Force sailed
from Trincomalee on 14th June.
From flying off position in the northern approaches to
the Malacca
Straits, aircraft of 888 Squadron (embarked in AMEER)
made successful photographic
reconnaissance flights over southern Malaya on the 18th,
19th,
and 20th June.

19. Fighter strikes
against the airfields at Lhoksemawe,
Medan,
and Binjai were made on 20th
June by aircraft of 809
Squadron (Seafires, making
their first strike against
Sumatra),
804, and 808
Squadrons (Hellcats).

20. Runways at Medan
and Binjai were put out of
action with 500 lb bombs. Attacks on grounded
enemy aircraft resulted
in 3 being destroyed, 7 left burning and probably
destroyed and 9 damaged. Aerodrome buildings,
locomotives, and rolling
stock were also effectively strafed. Off
Medan
2
junks, - one carrying oil – were attacked and set on
fire.

21. Our losses were 1
Hellcat shot down by A.A. fire. Force 63
was apparently not detected throughout the operation.

BURMA OPERATIONS BY COASTAL FORCES

22.
On 16th June, four
H.D.M.L.s returned
to Rangoon from 10
days’ patrol in the Bassein
area, during which they
had forced the surrender of a unit of 21 Japanese
soldiers, including one
officer. This is thought to be the first
surrender of a complete, fully armed unit in the Burma
theatre.

23.
Nine M.L.s with one
company of troops embarked searched the island waterway
to the northward of Bassein.
Though no
Japanese were detected, this show of force had a
salutary effect on local
Dacoits.

24.
Naval Force Commander Burma was
withdrawn on 17th June, his duties being
taken over by N.O.I.C.
Rangoon.

25.
Ships at Rangoon for the
Victory Parade and Review on 15th June
including H.M.S. CUMBERLAND
(wearing the Flag of F.O. Air, E.I.), H.M.S. CEYLON,
H.M.I.S. KISTNA, H.M.S. NITH, and ships of the Burma
Coast Escort Force.

BRIGADE
LANDING
EXERCISE

26. The following
ships took part in a Brigade Landing Exercise at Cocanda
on 24th/26th June.
H.M.S. ROYALIST (AC 21), HUNTER,
EMPEROR, LARGS,
RACEHORSE, ROEBUCK.

SUBMARINE
OPERATIONS

27. H.M. Submarines
of the 2nd Flotilla continued offensive
patrols against shipping in
the Malacca Straits and also carried out a number of
special operations.

APPENDIX 1 – SHIPPING

APPENDIX 2 – MINESWEEPING

APPENDIX 3 – TORPEDO

Appendix 1 – Shipping

CONVOYS

All shipping continued to run free of trade
convoys
throughout the East Indies Station, there being no
appreciable U boat threat.

TROOP
CONVOYS

OW.6
U.S.S. GENERAL W.F. HASE sailed
from Fremantle 4th June and proceeded
unescorted to the equator
where she was met by H.M.S. VERULAM and escorted to
Calcutta where
they arrived 13th June.

WO.7
U.S.S. GENERAL W.F.F. HASE
sailed from Calcutta
23rd
June and was met by H.M.S. VERULAM and escorted to
Trincomalee for fuelling,
where they arrived 25th.
Convoy left Trincomalee on 26th and was
escorted to a
position S.W. of Ceylon after which GENERAL W.F. HASE
proceeded independently
to Suez.

MISCELLANEOUS

H.M.S. ROSEBAY left Colombo
22nd
June towing damaged BYMS 2005 to Bombay where
they arrived 29th June.
ROSEBAY returned to Colombo.

H.M.S. FISHGUARD left Aden
26th
May escorting 9 M.F.V.s to
Bombay where
they arrived 4th June.
Subsequently FISHGUARD endeavoured
to tow 2
Dhows from Bombay to Mandapam
leaving Bombay on 7th
June but monsoon conditions were such she returned to
Bombay and proceeded
independently, arriving Colombo 13th June.

EAST INDIES ESCORT FORCE

Conversion to Fighter Direction
Ships

Four frigates of the Escort Force are being
converted to
this purpose during their current refits in South
Africa:
AWE, KALE, SWALE, and JED

Manning
of
Frigates by S.A.N.F.

The S.A.N.F. have
asked to take
over the manning of four frigates. AWE,
KALE, SWALE, and TEVIOT have been nominated.

Manning
of
Frigates by R.I.N.

Admiralty have now
proposed that
eleven frigates shall be turned over to the R.I.N. for
manning and this is
being investigated.

BURMACOAST ESCORT FORCE

The
following
ships were employed in escort duties on the Burma Coast
during
the month.

At the end of June the following numbers of
escort vessels
were undergoing refit and major repairs or were on
passage to or from refit:

Based
Kilindini
1

Based
Colombo
13

___

14

TRENT
continued defective throughout the month, but will sail
for refit in South
Africa as soon as
emergency repairs are made.

TOTLAND on return from refit in South
Africa
was found to be
defective beyond capabilities of this station and sailed
for U.K. 26th
June for reduction to reserve.

Appendix 2 – Minesweeping

FLEET MINESWEEPING

Ships of the 7th M/S Flotilla
returned to Colombo
at the
end of May and beginning of June following operations at
Rangoon. After boiler cleaning at Colombo they
have carried out minesweeping exercises and training
from Mandapam.

2. The 6th
M/S Flotilla following a similar maintenance and
training programme,
proceeded to Trincomalee at the end of June in readiness
for an impending
operation.

AUXILIARY
MINESWEEPERS

3. All auxiliary
minesweepers, except 3 BYMS remaining at Rangoon,
have
been withdrawn from the Bay of Bengal
for
maintenance and training at Mandapam.
Those left at Rangoon are
operating under the orders of N.O.I.C.

SWEEPS
IN RANGOON AND BASSEINRIVERS

4. 9 more ground
mines, presumed allied, were swept during operations
carried out by BYMS in the
last week of May to widen the swept Channel to Rangoon.

5. With the 23 swept
in the initial operation, the total of ground mines
swept in the Rangoon
River now
stands at 32.

6. Reconnaissance of
the Bassein
River between
29th May and 8th June revealed a
number of Japanese
moored mines – similar to type 93 – in the river, some
of which were watching
at low water. Six of these mines were
exploded or sunk by gunfire, and N.O.I.C. Rangoon has
been ordered to clear the
remainder.

M/S
MAINTENANCE
SHIP

7. H.M.S. CORBRAE
arrived at Colombo
from U.K. on 12th
June. She is a very welcome addition to
the maintenance and repair facilities of the
station. She has already been boiler cleaning
Fleet
minesweepers and will shortly proceed to Mandapam
to
assist in maintenance of auxiliary sweepers.

Appendix 3 – Torpedo

TORPEDO

In the course of Operation IRREGULAR, 8
torpedoes were fired
by H.M.S. TARTAR and ESKIMO at a landing craft near North
Sumatra. The target was
sunk.

DEGAUSSING
DEPERMING

2. Landing Craft
required deperming at Mandapam
during the month. The Deperming
Ship, H.M.S. BUSHWOOD was sailed, but the weather
proved too rough and she returned to Trincomalee where
facilities were
available for Landing Craft.

CONTROLLED
MINING

3. H.M.S. MANCHESTER
CITY returned to U.K.
during
the month for release to trade.

MINELAYING

4. Minelaying was continued from the Calcutta
area by
231 Group, R.A.F., but on a decreased scale due to
monsoon weather.
Laying was as
follows:

(a).

Satahib

15

(b).

TACHIN (near
Bangkok)

9

(c).

MEKLONG

3

(d).

Bangkok

15

(e).

Chumphorn

8

(f).

Mergui

10

(g).

PraohnabSoukan

4

(h).

Fell Passage

5

(i).

Domel
Island

10

(j)

Pakchan
River

8

(k).

Bangkok

18

(l).

Bandon

12

5. No further laying
will not take place in the Bay
of
Bengal or Malacca
Straits owing
to insufficiency of targets.

6. Mines were sent to
Cocos
Island during
the month.

EASTERN FLEET WAR DIARY

click to enlarge

JULY 1945

PART I

Japanese suicide aircraft were employed for the
first time
against again East Indies Fleet force, during
minesweeping operations off Phuket
– the second of major operations of this nature
carried out during July.

2. The enemy’ attacks resulted in damage and
casualties in
H.M.S. VESTAL of the Seventh Minesweeping Flotilla –
damage necessitating her
being sunk by our own forces – and some hull damaged to
H.M.S. SUSSEX above her
waterline. The efficiency of H.M.S. SUSSEX
was not
impaired. One suicide aircraft was shot
down by H.M.S. AMEER and two by H.M.S. SUSSEX.

3. The significant of
the enemy’s introduction of “suicide” tactics in this
theatre, was the
probability of their repetition, is fully appreciated.

4. In the operations
off Phuket, as in the
month’s first operation off Car
Nicobar, our minesweepers were supported by larger
units, including carriers,
and successful bombardments and air strikes were carried
out against selected
targets.

5. Patrol of the Tenasserim
Coast between
longitudes 10 degrees North and 14-30 degrees North was
maintained by Royal
Indian sloops until 27th July.

6. The Flag of Vice
Admiral Commanding, Third Battle Squadron, was
transferred from H.M.S. QUEEN
ELIZABETH to H.M.S. NELSON on 12th
July. H.M.S. QUEEN ELIZABETH subsequently left the
station for the United
Kingdom. H.M.S. SUFFOLK also sailed for the United
Kingdom during the month,
while H.M.S. SUSSEX joined
the 5th Cruiser Squadron.
F.S. RICHELIEU proceeded to South
Africa for half yearly
docking.

8. Forces sailed from
Trincomalee a.m. on 2nd July and proceeded
direct to Car
Nicobar. Destroyers and minesweepers
fuelled from the carriers on passage and as necessary
during the operation.

9. Minesweepers
operated off Car Nicobar daily from 5th to 10th
July,
inclusive. A total of 167 moored mines
were swept, all to the eastward of the island.

10. To cover the
activities of the minesweepers, H.M.S. NIGERIA
and
destroyers bombarded gun positions and targets of
opportunity on the island,
while Hellcats carried out a series of strikes, during
which radar stations
were put out of action and all craft seen in the area
rendered unseaworthy.

11. The only enemy
reaction was accurate A.A. fire. Four of
our aircraft were shot down, but all pilots were rescued
inshore, one by a
Walrus aircraft flown off from H.M.S. EMPEROR and the
remainder by destroyers
who drew ineffective machine gun fire.

12. Precautionary
measures against a landing, these including the erection
of stakes on airfield
runways, were observed to be taken by the enemy.

13. On 7th
July, Nancowry was
subjected to bombardments and air
strikes by Force 61, operating in heavy rain
squalls. Fires and explosions were observed in the
area of Naval Point and two coasters were left on
fire. Two of our Hellcats were shot down by A.A.
fire, the pilot of one being rescued.

14. At first light on
11th July, twenty four Hellcats attacked Kotaraja
and Lhonga Airfields in
northwest Sumatra.
No aircraft were observed on either airfield,
nor at Sabang,
but runways
and buildings were bombed and strafed.
After being hit by A.A. fire, one Hellcat force landed
in the sea, the
pilot being picked up by a destroyer.
One Japanese aircraft which approached our force was
shot down by
fighters.

OPERATION
LIVERY

Object:
Sweeping of mines off Phuket;
bombardment and air strikes directed against
appropriate targets.

15. This operation
was conducted by Vice Admiral H.C.T. Walker, CB, Vice
Admiral Commanding Third
Battle Squadron and the following forces were employed:

16. The force sailed
from Trincomalee on 19th July and passed
through Sombrero Channel
during the night of 22nd/23rd
July, and arrived off Phuket
a.m. on 24th July.

17. The area which
had been given first priority was cleared of mines of as
a result of operations
carried out of 24th, 25th, and 26th
July. In all, twenty four mines were swept.

18. One of the
minesweepers, H.M.S. SQUIRREL, was mined forward on the
24th. Two and a half hours after
hitting the mine
she took a heavy list, and had to be sunk by our own
forces. Seven ratings were lost.

19. In strikes
against targets on the KraaIsthumus,
our aircraft achieved commendable results.
Three small ships were destroyed and eleven others
strafed in the Singora
area, while fifteen locomotives were put out of
action and rolling stock strafed on the railway system
between Bandon and Dhungsong.
A camp at
Huatsei was bombed.
One SungeiPatani
airfield six grounded aircraft were destroyed, three
left burning and two
others hit. In all these operations our
loss was one Hellcat.

20. On the 26th
July attacks by suicide aircraft were launched against
units of Force 63. One of these aircraft was shot
down in flames
by H.M.S. AMEER and two were shot down by H.M.S. SUSSEX.
H.M.S. VESTAL was hit, caught fire, and had
to be sunk by our own forces. Fifteen
ratings were lost. H.M.S. SUSSEX was
also hit and sustained hull damage above the waterline,
but remained fully
efficient.

21. Force 63 left the
area of operation p.m. on 26th July and
returned to Trincomalee.

TENASSERIM
COAST
PATROL

22. Royal Indian Navy
sloops maintained patrol off the Tenasserim
Coast
between latitudes 10 degrees North and 14-30 degrees
North until 27th
July, when this patrol was withdrawn. No
enemy craft were sighted. Ships employed
were H.M.I.S. NARBADA, GODAVARI,
and KISTNA. H.M.I.S. SUTLEJ, who broke down, was
replaced
by H.M.S. TEST.

23. A boat from
H.M.S. TEST was sent into the entrance to Tavoy
River on 13th
July to obtain shipping intelligence and to interrogate
the natives. This boat came under fire from
concealed light
automatic weapons and rifles on the east side of Tavoy
Point, and one officer and two ratings were killed.

24. Having proceeded
to Rangoon
to land
casualties, H.M.S. TEST returned to Tavoy
Point and
bombarded the enemy positions. No
results could be observed. Later in her patrol, H.M.S.
TEST intercepted a boat
containing seven Burmans
who had escaped from Port
Blair. The report made by these me
confirmed previous accounts of the starvation conditions
existing in the Andamans.

SUBMARINE
OPERATIONS

25. Offensive patrols
against shipping in the Malacca Straits were maintained
throughout the period
by H.M. Submarines of the Second Flotilla.

APPENDIX 1 – SHIPPING

APPENDIX 2 -- MINESWEEPING

Appendix I – Shipping

CONVOYS

All shipping continued to run free of trade
convoys
throughout the East Indies Station, there being no
appreciate U boat threat.

TROOP
CONVOYS

OW.7
U.S.S. GENERAL H.B. FREEMAN
sailed from Fremantle 29th June and proceeded
unescorted to the
Equator, where she was met by H.M.S. VERULAM and
escorted to Calcutta where
they arrive 8th July.

OW.8
U.S.S. GENERAL E.T. COLLINS and
GENERAL M.M. PATRICK sailed from Fremantle 21st
July and proceeded
unescorted to the Equator where they were met by H.M.S.
REDOUBT and escorted
where they arrived 30th July.

WO.8
U.S.S. GENERAL H.B. FREEMAN
sailed from Calcutta
15th
July and was met off Sandheads
by H.M.S. PENN and
escorted to Trincomalee for fuelling where they arrived
18th
July. Convoy left Trincomalee 19th
July and was escorted to 3 degrees South by H.M.S. PENN,
whence she proceeded
unescorted to Fremantle to arrive 27th
July. H.M.S. PENN returned to Trincomalee.

Admiralty have
accepted the
responsibility of ocean Air/Sea Rescue on this
station. Twelve corvettes are to be appropriated
for
this duty as soon as possible. Meantime,
H.M.S. DEVERON is temporarily stationed at Cocos
Island to meet
commitments there. H.M.S. ROSEBAY and
H.M.I.S. ASSAM were
also sent to Karachi
for the
same purpose.

ESCORT
VESSELS

At
the end of July, the following
numbers of escort vessels were undergoing refit and
major repairs or were on
passage to or from refit.

Based
Kilindini
1

Based
Colombo
10

__

11

Emergency
repairs to TRENT were completed towards
the end of the month and she proceeded to refit in South
Africa. LINARIA defective beyond station resources
sailed
for the United Kingdom for reduction to
reserve.

H.M.I.S.
HINDUSTAN was returned to
Flag Officer Commanding Royal Indian Navy for use as a
Surveying or Training
ship being no longer in a fit operational condition.

H.M.S.
THYME continued to carry out
miscellaneous duties at Ade whilst still awaiting the
flight of Motor Fishing
Vessels requiring escorts to Bombay.

Appendix 2 – Minesweeping

Two
offensive minesweeping
operations were carried out during the month.
In the first, Operation COLLIE, the Sixth Minesweeping
Flotilla (Senior
Officer, Commander D.L. Johnston, RN, in H.M.S. MELITA)
swept 167 moored mines
off the east coast of Car Nicobar between 5th
and 10th
July, both dates inclusive.

2.
The
second sweep, Operation LIVERY, was carried out by the
Seventh
Minesweeping Flotilla (Senior Officer, Commander A.E.P.
Doran, RN, in HMS
PLUCKY) in the southern approaches to Phuket
between
24th and 27th July.
Twenty four mines were swept.

3.
H.M.S.
SQUIRREL (Lieutenant Commander M. Buist,
RN) was lost as result of striking a mine on 24thJuly,
and H.M.S. VESTAL (Lieutenant Commander C.W. Porter,
DSC, RN) as a result of
attack by a Japanese suicide aircraft on 26th
July.

4.
Early
in the month, Naval Officer in Charge, Rangoon, reported
his intention
to start the clearance of the Bassein
River in the middle of the
month. Using the three
B.Y.M.S.based
on Rangoon,
operations were expected to last
about ten days. No report has yet been
received.

SECRET

NOTES
FOR EASTERN FLEET
WAR DIARY
– JULY 1945

OPERATIONS
SECTION

(n.b.
this appears to be a repeat, but is included
because it appears separately in the file and does
contain some detail not
previously shown)

Minesweeping
Operations

Two
minesweeping operations have
been carried out during the month. Operation
COLLIE off Car
Nicobar and Operation LIVERY off Phuket.
In both cases the minesweepers were supported
by larger units including carriers, who carried out
bombardments and air
strikes on appropriate targets.

Forces
left Trincomalee a.m. 2nd
July and proceeded direct to Car Nicobar.
Destroyers and sweepers fuelled from the carriers on
passage and as
necessary during the operation.

Minesweepers
operated off Car
Nicobar daily from 5th to 10th
July, inclusive, during
which time they swept 167 moored mines, all to the
eastward of the island.

NIGERIA
and destroyers bombarded
gun positions and targets of opportunity on the island,
while Hellcats made a
series of strikes. The only enemy
reaction was accurate A.A. fire, which shot down four of
our aircraft. All the pilots were rescued close
inshore,
one by a Walrus aircraft from H.M.S. EMPEROR, and the
remainder from destroyers
who drew ineffective machine gun fire.

The
enemy were
observed to be taking precautions against a landing,
including the erection of
stakes on airfield runways.

Force
61 carried out bombardments
and air strikes of Nancowry
on 7th July in
heavy rain squalls. Fires and explosions
were observed in the area of Naval Point and two
coasters were left on
fire. Two Hellcats were shot down by
A.A. fire, the pilot of one being rescued.

At
first light on 11th
July, twenty four Hellcats attacked Kotaraja
and Lhonga airfields.
No
aircraft were seen on the airfield, nor
at Sabang, but runways and
buildings were bombed and
strafed. One Hellcat made a forced
landing in the sea after being hit by A.A. fire, but the
pilot was rescued by a
destroyer. One Dinah approached our
force and was shot down by fighters.

Operation
LIVERY
(conducted by Third Battle Squadron)

Force
63Group 1Group 2

NELSON
(Third Battle
Squadron)
PLUCKY (Senior Officer)

SUSSEX
SQUIRREL

EMPRESS
(896 Squadron
Hellcats
PINCHER

AMEER
(804 Squadron
Hellcats)
VESTAL

ROTHERHAM
(Captain (D) 11th
RIFLEMAN

Destroyer
Flotilla

RACEHORSE
H.M.I.S.
PUNJAB (attached danlayer)

RAIDER
H.M.I.S.
DECCAN (attached danlayer

PALADIN

Force
left Trincomalee 19th
July, passed through Sombrero Channel during the night
of 22nd/23rd
July and arrived off Phuket
a.m. 24th.

Minesweeping
operations were carried
out 24th, 25th, and 26th,
during which the
period the area which had been given the first priority
was cleared, twenty
four mines being sunk.

H.M.S.
SQUIRREL was mined forward on
24th and two and a half hours later took a
heavy list and had to be
sunk by our own forces. About seven
ratings were lost.

Aircraft
carried out strikes on Kraa
Isthmus, in the course of which three small ships were
destroyed and eleven others strafed in the Singora
area. Fifteen locomotives were put out
of action, and wagons strafed, on the railway line
between Bandon and Dhungsong.
A camp at
Huatsei was bombed.
During a strike on SungeiPatani,
six enemy aircraft were destroyed, three left burning,
and two others hit. Our loss from all these
operations was one
Hellcat.

Force
63 was attacked by suicide
aircraft on 26th, H.M.S. AMEER shot one down
in flames. H.M.S. VESTAL was hit, caught fire and
had to
be sunk by our own forces. Eight
officers and eighty seven were rescued.
H.M.S. SUSSEX was also hit and
sustained hull damage above the waterline, but remained
fully efficient.

Force
63 left the operating area
p.m. 26th July and returned to Trincomalee.

TENASSERIM
COAST
PATROL

Royal
Indian Naval sloops maintained
patrol off Tenasserim Coast
between latitudes 10
degrees North and 14-30 degrees North until 27th
July when this
patrol was withdrawn. No enemy craft
were sighted. Ships
taking part H.M.I.S. NARBADA, GODAVARI,
KISTNA.
H.M.S. TEST carried out in patrol in place of
H.M.I.S. SUTLEJ, who broke down.

On
13th July, a board
from H.M.S. TEST, which had been sent into the entrance
to Tavoy
River to obtain shipping intelligence and interrogate
the natives, was fired
upon by concealed light automatic weapons and rifle fire
on the east side of Tavoy
Point. One
officer and two ratings were killed.
H.M.S. TEST returned to Rangoon to land casualties and
subsequently returned to Tavoy
Point and bombarded
the enemy position. No result could be
observed.

Later
in her patrol, H.M.S. TEST
intercepted a boat containing seven Burmese who had
escaped from Port Blair,
who reported conditions of starvation amongst the
inhabitants there.

Minesweeping
Notes forEastern Fleet
War
Diary – July 1945

1. Two offensive
minesweeping operations were carried out during the
month.

In the first operation, COLLIE, the Sixth
Minesweeping
Flotilla (Senior Officer, Commander D.L. Johnston, RN,
in H.M.S. MELITA) swept
167 mines off the east coast Car Nicobar between 5th
and 10th
July both dates inclusive.

2. The second
operation, LIVERY, was carried out by the Seventh
Minesweeping Flotilla (Senior
Officer, Commander A.E.P. DORAN, RN, in H.M.S. PLUCKY)
in the southern entrance
to Phuket between 24th
and 26th
July. A total of twenty four mines were
swept. H.M.S. SQUIRREL (Lieutenant
Commander M. Buist, Royal
Navy) was lost as the
result of striking a mine on 24th July, and
H.M.S. VESTAL
(Lieutenant Commander C.W. Porter, DSC, Royal Navy) as a
result of attack by a
Japanese suicide aircraft on 26th July.

3. Early in the
month, Naval Officer in charge, Rangoon
reported
his intention to start the clearance of the Bassein
River in the
middle of the month. Using the
three B.Y.M.S. based on Rangoon,
operations were expected to last about ten days.
No report has yet been received.

EASTERN FLEET WAR DIARY

Area of operations, click to
enlarge

AUGUST 1945

PART I

Although plans had already been prepared for the
occupation
of Singapore
if the
Japanese capitulated their sensational decision to
accept the Potsdam
surrender terms, which was made known on 11th
August, presented the
East Indies Fleet with the need for much additional
planning, and subsequently replanning,
of the operations for the occupation of enemy
held territories in South East Asia.

2. At the time of the
surrender decision a carrier force was at sea,
proceeding to carry out strikes
in the Penang
and Medan
areas. This operation had to be
cancelled, and plans made instead to occupy Singapore,
Penang, and Sabang.
There followed
a period of fleet activity more intense than any
experienced during the years
of hostilities.

3. Further recasting
of original plans was necessary because Japanese orders
for stopping
hostilities took so long to promulgate in this theatre,
and also no landings
were permitted until the final instrument of surrender
was signed in Tokyo,
this
being delayed beyond the original anticipated date.

4. These delays
entailed the maintenance of some of our forces at sea
for an extended
period. Their supply,
had further, to be effected without calling upon ships
already allocated for
supplying the Fleet in accordance with plans made prior
to the Japanese
surrender for the reconquest
of Malaya
and Singapore.

5. The passage for
fleet units convoys to Singapore
depended
on clearing a safe channel through the Malacca
Straits. The negotiations at Penang, during
which the Japanese had to hand over charts of their
minefields, therefore, had
considerable bearing on this.

6. The position at
the end of the month was that forces were standing off Penang
and Sabang awaiting the
signature in Tokyo before
landing occupation troops; while minesweepers were on
the eve of beginning
their clearance of the safe channel to Singapore.
Details of the various operations follow.

OPERATION
CARSON:
Object:
to attack shipping and airfields in Penang and Medan
areas.

8. On the 11th
August, when the news was received of Japan’s
announced
willingness to accept the Allies’ surrender terms, the
Force was
ordered to remain west of 90 degrees East.
Subsequently, all ships returned to
Trincomalee, arriving on 15th August.

SUSPENSION
OF
OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS

9. The following
Station General Message was made on 15th
August: “SUSPEND OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS AGAINST
JAPANESE FORCES.”

PLANS
FOR
OCCUPATION OF ENEMYHELDTERRITORIES

10. The following
operations were planned

(A). Operation TIDERACE: Object
– to occupy Singapore as soon as possible after Japan’s
Capitulation, Securing as a Preliminary Measure an
Advanced Anchorage and All Weather Air Base At Penang.

This plan allowed for the occupation of Penang
by the 3rd
Commando Brigade – to be lifted from Bombay in L.S.I.’s
and L.S.T.’s and landed in
assault formation – and
the occupation two days later of Singapore by the 5th
Indian
Division, lifted from Rangoon in Personnel and M.T.
Ships. The choice of the 3rd Commando
Brigade and 5th Division for this operation
was governed by
availability of troops and shipping, and by the need to
cause the least
possible dislocation of plans for imminent large scale
amphibious
operations. Negotiations between
representatives of the Supreme Allied Commander, South
East
Asia, and local Japanese Commanders
were to
take place on board H.M. Ships the day before the
landings, both of which were
to be covered by H.M. Ships and Naval aircraft, and a
detailed minesweeping programme
was required.

(C).
Operation
BEECHAM: Object: Occupation of Sabang
or some smaller port by a smaller Force of Royal
Marines.

FLEET
MOVEMENTS TO
IMPLEMENT OPERATION JURIST

11. On 15th
August, Vice Admiral H.T.C. Walker, CB, Vice Admiral
Commanding Third Battle
Squadron, was ordered to carry out operation JURIST, D
Day being fixed as 21st
August. In accordance with these orders,
the following forces sailed from Trincomalee.

12. It was while
these forces were on passage eastward that delays in negotiations,
and in the arrival of the Japanese Emperor’s orders to
case hostilities in South
East
Asia became apparent. D Day
had, therefore, to be postponed and on
20th August all forces concentrated at TrinkatChamplong on the north east
coast of Great
Nicobar Island. This bay provided shelter from
wind and
swell, and M.L.s and
B.Y.M.S. were able to refuel at
the anchorage while larger units remained at seas in the
vicinity.

13. By this time it
had also become apparent that no landings in this
theatre would be permitted by
the Allied High Command until the final instrument of
surrender had been signed
at Tokyo.
According, all plans had once again to be
adjusted.

PRELIMINARY
MOVEMENT
OF FLEET MINESWEEPERS

14. Any operations to
the southward of the one fathom bank in the Malacca
Straits were dependent on
establishing a safe channel through the minefield in the
area, so all available
Fleet Minesweepers were sailed from Colombo
on 15th
august to proceed eastward. These
consisted of 4 sweepers and 2 dan
layers of the 6th
M/S Flotilla - H.M.S. FRIENDSHIP (Commander M/s 6th
Minesweeper
Flotilla), LENNOX, PERISAN, LIGHTFOOT , IMMERSAY, and
LINGAY – and 7 sweepers
of the 37th (Royal Indian Navy) M/S Flotilla
– H.M.I.S. ORISSA
(Commander M/S 37th Minesweeping Flotilla),
RAJPUTANA, KATHIAWAR,
OUDH, KHYBER, BALUCHISTAN, and KUMAON.

15. On 17th
August, Captain M/S Forward Areas (Captain R.H.V. Sivewright,
DSC, RN) embarked in H.M.S.
PELORUS, with GOZO in
company, left Colombo
to
overtake the 6th M/S Flotilla, being joined
by H.M.I.S. BENGAL and
R.F.A. CHERRYLEAF from Trincomalee.
H.M.S. GOZO returned to Trincomalee on 23rd
August with a
condenser defect.

16. The Fleet
Minesweepers and attendant oilers were subsequently
formed into Form 155.

17. In view of the
delays already referred to in paragraph 12 above, the
minesweepers were ordered
to proceed to the lee of Simalur
Island, the
most northerly of the chain of islands off the west
coast of Sumatra, where
they anchored in LuguSibabu
p.m. on 22nd August.

18. R.F.A. ORANGELEAF
sailed from Colombo
on 25th
August to join Force 155, and on the following day H.M.S
MELITA, H.M.I.S.
ROHILKAND, and CARNATIC also sailed from Colombo to
augment Force 155 and were joined by H.M.S. GOZO from
Trincomalee. H.M.I.S. CARNATIC subsequently
returned with
defects.

PLANS
AMENDED

19. As result of the
delays encountered and to meet an additional requirement
to lift one brigade
from South East Asia Command to Hong
Kong, plans
were recast as follows:

(A).
The 3rd
Commando Brigade was removed from the TIDERACE plan, and
allocated to Hong
Kong (Operation ARMOUR).
To implement this decision, the ships employed in
lifting the brigade –
H.M.S. GLENGYLE, H.M.I.S.
LLANSTEPHAN CASTLE, and
L.S.T.s 9 and 304 – who had
sailed from Bombay on 18th,
were diverted to Trincomalee and held there until the
date on which
minesweeping of the Malacca Straits was to begin had
been decided upon.

(B).
Operation TIDERACE
as now to consist of the occupation of Singapore only by
the 5th Division.

(C).
The occupation of Penang was to
be undertaken as Operation JURIST and the occupation of
Sabang
as Operation BEECHAM.

RANGOON MEETING

20. At Rangoon
on 26th
August, representatives of the Supreme Allied commander,
South
East Asia, met plenipotentiaries from
the Japanese
Southern Area Command. A local agreement
preliminary of surrender was signed which allowed
immediate naval occupation of
coastal waters and minesweeping to commence.

OPERATION
JURIST
AND BEECHAM

21. The Rangoon
agreement
was the signal for our waiting forces to move into
position. All ships left their concentration
points at Great Nicobar Island and Simalur
on 27th August.

22. Vice Admiral
H.T.C. Walker, CB (Vice Admiral Commanding Third Battle
Squadron) with Force
11, and Commodore A.L. Poland, CB, DSO, DSC (Commodore
(D)) with Force 68,
anchored off Penang
and Sabang respectively
a.m. on 28th August. The remainder of
the force under command of
Vice Admiral Walker arrived off the Malayan shore on 29th
August. Bad weather forced the small
ships to anchor in the lee of Langkawi
Island.

23. Force 155
anchored to the west of Sigli
on 29th
August, and on 30th August proceeded towards
the Malacca
Straits. Meanwhile, on 27th
August, available ships of the 7th
Minesweeping Flotilla – H.M.S.
RECRUIT, CHAMELEON, PINCHER, PLUCKY, and RIFLEMAN with
H.M.I.S. PUNJAB, DECCAN,
and BIHAR as
attached dan layers – had
left Colombo to join
Force 155.

PENANG MEETINGS

24. Senior Japanese
officers at Penang
came on board
H.M.S. NELSON on 28th August, and signed an
undertaking that no
attack would be made on the Fleet.
Further meetings were held on the 29th, 30th,
and
31st August. The Japanese
proved cooperative and provided the necessary
information relative to their minefields,
including those at Singapore and
other areas.

25. All arrangements
were completed for the occupation of Penang,
and
preparations made to land as soon as the instrument of
surrender was signed at Tokyo. On 30th
August, B.Y.M.S. began to
sweep the northern approach channel to the harbour.

SABANG
MEETINGS

26. Guarantees and
information similar to that obtained at Penang
were
supplied by the Japanese during meetings on board H.M.S.
LONDON off Sabang.
Arrangements
were also made for all Japanese forces and Sumatran
coolies to evacuate Pulu-Wei
and proceeded to Kota
Raja on the Sumatran mainland.

27. The Commander in
Chief, East Indies,
Admiral Sir A.J.
Power, KCB, CVO, sailed from Colombo, in
H.M.S. CLEOPATRA on 27th August, arriving at
Sabang
on 29th August, and subsequently proceeding
to Penang.

OPERATION
TIDERACE

28. Flag Officer
Force ‘N’ (Rear Admiral C.S. Holland, CB) sailed from
Trincomalee for Singapore
on 31st August in H.M.S. SUSSEX, with the
destroyer VIGILANT in
company. Rear Admiral Holland, on behalf
of the Supreme Allied Commander, South
East Asia, was to
make preliminary arrangements with the Japanese for the
occupation of the
island.

30. The 3rd
Commando Brigade, embarked in H.M.S. GLENGYLE and H.M.I.S.
LLANSTEPHAN CASTLE,
escorted by H.M.S. ONTARIO, sailed
from Trincomalee on 31st August for Hong
Kong,
These units had been preceded by 2 L.S.T.s
and one store ship. H.M.S. SMITER, with
No. 142 R.A.F. Spitfire Squadron embarked, left later to
overtake. The force was to rendezvous in
Singapore
Strait on 6th September and go on to Hong
Kong in convoy.

COASTAL
FORCES
OPERATIONS

31. Force 157
(comprising coastal force units detailed in paragraph 11
above) which had sailed
from Trincomalee to take part in Operation JURIST, was
under the command of
Captain Coastal Forces, East Indies
(Acting
Captain T. Kerr, OBE, RN) in H.M.I.S. GODAVARI.
Two Fairmiles and one
H.D.M.L. were forced to
return to harbour on the
first night owing to engine
defects.

32. In the morning on
17th August, M.L. 230 was in a collision with
the tanker CROMWELL
and sustained such severe engine room that she had to be
sunk by gunfire from
H.M.I.S. GODAVARI; a heavy swell precluded any attempt
to repair the damage.

33. During the later
waiting period before the occupation of Penang,
M.L.s maintained a shuttle
service over the 40 miles
between the Langkawi
anchorage and H.M.S. NELSON.

34.
The 110 H.D.M.L. Flotilla
was detached to
take part in the occupation of Penang, and
the remainder of the force was subsequently to proceed
to Singapore.

ARRIVALS
ON STATION

35. The following
ships joined the Station during the month:
Monitors H.M.S. ABERCROMBIE and ROBERTS; the fighter
direction ship
PALOMARES, who as a result of fire in the engine room
proceeded in tow to Massawa;
and H.M.S. MYNGS (Captain (D) 2nd
Destroyer Flotilla.

APPENDIX 1 – SHIPPING

Appendix 1 – Shipping

CONVOYS

Immediately after the Japanese surrender on 13th
August, all shipping, except that for operation requirement,
was released from convoy.

EAST
INDIES
ESCORT
FORCE

Re enforcements continued to arrive.

BURMACOAST ESCORT FORCE

With the release of shipping to Rangoon
from
convoy on 5th August, the Force ceased to
exist.

AIR
SEA RESCUE

The disposition of corvettes for Air Sea Rescue
Duties
continues.

ESCORT
VESSELS

At the end of August, the number of vessels
undergoing refit
or major repairs or on passage to or from refit was:

2. At 1600 Flag
Officer, Force W, in BULOLO with representative ships of
Force ‘W’ arrived to
take part in the surrender ceremony.

3. Leave was granted
ashore in Singapore
until
1830.

Wednesday,
12th September 1945

4. At 0730,
detachments for the surrender ceremony proceeded ashore
in L.C.I. (L). Officers and men of the Fleet
attended the
ceremony. When the signing of the
surrender terms was completed in the Municipal
Buildings, the Supreme Allied
Commander inspected the Parade. At 1630, RICHELIEU
and RELENTLESS
sailed for Trincomalee.

Thursday,
13th September 1945

5. The Commander in
Chief, East Indies Fleet in CLEOPATRA, the Rear Admiral
Commanding, Fifth
Cruiser Squadron in CUMBERLAND,
Flag
Officer, Force ‘W’ in BULOLO sailed after the Singapore
Surrender ceremony
yesterday or early this morning.

6. The Vice Admiral,
Second in Command, East Indies Fleet took over as Senior
Naval Officer
(Afloat), Singapore
at 1800
and assumed responsibility for operating all Fleet units
at Singapore. Flag Officer, Malaya (Rear
Admiral Morse, CB, CBE) took
over duties of the
port. Flag Officer, Force ‘N’ (Rear
Admiral Holland, CB) in SUSSEX had
been carrying out the duties of both Senior Naval
Officer (Afloat) and Naval
Officer in Charge up to this time after having conducted
the occupation of Singapore on 5th September 1945.

7. On taking over
Senior Naval Officer (Afloat), Singapore, the
dispositions were as
follows: Minesweepers – 6th
Minesweeping Flotilla at Singapore, half of the 7th
Minesweeping
Flotilla at Singapore, the other half with Rear Admiral
Commanding, Fifth
Cruiser Squadron and N.E.I., 37th
Minesweeping Flotilla and 7 BYMS
and MMS’s at Port Swettenham
boiler cleaning. Two BYMS attached to
Flag Officer, Malaya
and at Singapore. M.L. Force 157 was at Singapore
with
the exception of 110th H.D.M.L. Flotilla at
Penang and 9
H.D.M.L.s operating with
Flag Officer, Force ‘W’ in assault
area. Sixteen escort vessels under
Captain East Indies Escorts were escorting convoys
between 3 degrees North and Malacca Straits and
Singapore.

10. CEYLON
sailed
at 0600 for Trincomalee, calling at Penang en
route to land two months provisions and stores for the
Naval Officer in Charge.

11. CAESAR arrived at
Trincomalee, having called at Sabang,
Penang,
and
Port Swettenham with mails;
BRECON arrived with a
convoy and DILIGENE (Fleet Repair Ship) arrived for
onward routing to the
B.P.F. SUSSEX wearing the Flag of Flag
Officer, Force ‘N’ sailed for Ceylon and ATTACKER, who
had been at Singapore
Naval Base, assisting with landing naval parties and
guards, left for
Trincomalee. SYBIL, who had represented
the submarines at Singapore for the
surrender ceremony, sailed for Trincomalee.

12. As a result of a
request from Supreme Allied Commander plans were put in
hand by the Flag
Officer, Malaya,
to start
evacuating prisoners of war from Sumatra.

13. At 1330 NELSON
shifted berth into Singapore Roads.

Saturday,
15th
SEPTEMER 1945

14. FARNDALE and
CAESAR sailed on mail trip to Ceylon.
ACTIVITY, who had brought out the port party
and stores, sailed for Colombo.

16. My S.O.O.
(Commander T.V. Briggs, RN) was sent to Palembang
by air
to investigate arrangements for the evacuating of Allied
Prisoners of War there
by sea. Later it was decided that Allied
Prisoners of War at Palembang would
be evacuated by air. A separate report
on this was forwarded under cover of V.A.E.I. No.
737/756J of 7th October 1945.

24. INNERSAY and
LINGAY of 6th Minesweeping Flotilla sailed
for Colombo
to be tropicalised.
VENUS
arrived with mails and to relieve TARTAR due for boiler
cleaning. Two L.S.T.’s,
six
L.C.I. (L)’s and some welcome M.F.V.’s
for harbour work arrived,
thereby easing the work which had
previously all fallen on the M.L.’s

Saturday, 22nd
September 1945

25. The colours
were hoisted with due ceremony at the Naval
Base. NELSON’s
band and spectators were taken there by TARTAR, who also
collected two Japanese
torpedoes to take back to Ceylon.

Sunday, 23rd
September 1945

26. A Thanksgiving
service was held in the Singapore Cathedral.

27. TARTAR (D 10)
sailed for Trincomalee

28. VENUS sailed to
escort as far as 115 degrees East, ESPERANCE
BAY and LARGS BAY taking
Australian prisoners of war back to Australia.

Monday, 24th
September 1945

29. Seaman, stokers,
and Royal Marines marched through the streets of Singapore
between
1000 and 1045. The salute was taken by
Lieutenant General Sir Phillip Christison,
KBE, CB,
DSO at the Municipal
Buildings. Platoons were landed from NELSON,
SAUMAREZ,
PALADIN, and VIGILANT with the band of NELSON.

31. Senior Officer
Assault Group W 2 arrived from ZIPPER area in
WAVENEY. (n.b.
corrected in ink from WAVERLEY).

32. Captain 19th
Destroyer Flotilla in TRAFALGAR with CAMPERDOWN and
ARMADA arrived from Ceylon.
These were the first of the BATTLE class
destroyers to be seen on the station.

33. DEWDALE and SAN
ZOTICO sailed. An intercepted message
from SMITER of an S.O.S. from an aircraft was received
at 2300 and SAUMAREZ was
sent o the area of 5 degrees North, 106 degrees East on
Wednesday, 26th
September to investigate.

35. SUSSEX
arrived
and took on board canteen stores for allied Prisoners of
War and then sailed to
join Rear Admiral Commanding, Fifth Cruiser Squadron in
Java.

36. SAUMAREZ was
ordered to return at 1200 but shortly after this a
signal was received from the
14th Army that pirates were holding up food
junks near Kota Bahru.
SAUMAREZ was
detached to investigate and find out if M.L.’s
could
be based there.

37. SMITER arrived
from Hong Kong
with women and
children evacuees and sailed at once for
Trincomalee. TRUMPETER also arrived from ZIPPER
area.

39. Captain M/S
F.A. returned to Singapore
with
PELORUS, FRIENDSHIP, PERSIAN, and POSTILLION have swept
a channel three cables
wide through the Banka Straits and Behala
Straits
minefields. GOZO and DECCAN were
left behind to lift dans.

43. VENUS returned
from her escort duty. Captain (D) 26th
Destroyer Flotilla in SAUMAREZ returned from Kota Bahru
and reported that owing the shallow water Lumpat
was
not a suitable placed to base M.L.s.
The river estuary had silted up considerably
and bore no resemblance to the chart.

45. GOZO and DECCAN
arrived
after clearing up danbouys
in Behala
area. PICKLE (M.S. 7), CHAMELION, BIHAR, and
PUNJAB
returned to Singapore from
Java. Thus all minesweepers were at Singapore
except
the BYMS who had sailed for Saigon and
PLUCKY who had broken down in Java.

Sunday, 30th
September 1945

46. The Vice Admiral
Second in Command, East Indies Fleet turned over the
duties of the Senior Naval
Officer (Afloat) to Captain East Indies Escorts in
GORLESTON at 1030 and sailed
in NELSON for Trincomalee with Captain 26th
Destroyer Flotilla in
SAUMAREZ and PALADIN in company at 1200.

PART II

BRIEF SUMMARY AND APPRECIATION OF EVENTS – SEPTEMBER 1945

This was a remarkable month and one that few who
took part
in the return of our forces to Malaya
will
forget. After much inevitable delays and
changes of plan, the forces under my command much
appreciated being selected to
be the first ones back into Malaya and to
hoist the Union Jack over Penang Island. It was
disappointing that the larger ships
and cruisers could not get into Penang Roads but all
ships either sent seaman
and stoker landing parties to assist in the occupation,
or later took part in
the march past. A full report is gen in
the report of Operation JURIST.

2. The Fleet then
steamed south taking its place in the ZIPPER queue for
the One Fathom
Bank. As was expected, the absence of
opposition enabled the fleet to be dispersed with almost
at once, but it was an
experience to see the elaborate plan of a thousand ships
working itself out. A
month
before a picture had grown in our imagination of the
smoke and explosion of
bombardment, suicide aircraft, suicide boats, and all
the ensuing
disorganization accompanying them. Now
the fleet had only mines to fear;
these were a constant anxiety and not
without reason as shown by RICHELIEU
exploding a mine at the One Fathom Bank, fortunately
without casualty.

3. It was a
disappointment to some ships’ companies that they were
not selected to go to Singapore,
the
goal of all our endeavours
for the last two
years. To those who were fortunate to be
selected it proved a most interesting time not only to
those who had been there
before and were able to make comparison with pre-Jap
occupation days, but also
to the greater percentage of the officers and men in the
fleet who wanted a
change from Trincomalee. In comparison, Singapore
was
much cooler and the health of the ships’ companies
therefore improved. Leave was given at first until
1830, but
later this was extended to midnight, as
things got more back to normal in the town.
There was no beer or canteen
facilities ashore,
but all took their change to go round the shops, which
contained a remarkable
assortment and display of goods, high in price, but
unobtainable in the West.

4. The conduct of libertymen
was on the whole good, marred in a few cases by
looting which was severely suppressed.

5. The participation
of the fleet in the ceremony of the surrender by the
Japanese Commander to the
Supreme Allied Commander was highly gratifying to those
who had been fighting
on the station, and that, together, with the Admiral
Lord Louis Mountbatten’s
visit to H.M.S. NELSON impressed upon the officers and
men the great del
achieved and the large amount of work still to be done.

6. After the
Commander in Chief’s departure every effort was made to
smarten up the fleet to
a peace time standard and to this there was a prompt and
willing response,
somewhat handicapped by a lack of paint.

7. On first taking
over Senior Naval Officer (Afloat), Singapore,
my
staff took on a large number of the duties which were
gradually transferred to
Flag Officer, Malaya
as his staff
settled in.

8. The minesweepers
were operated by me in close cooperation with Flag
Officer, Malaya,
who
had addition requirements for them in connection with
the evacuation of Allied
Prisoners of War by sea.

9. A large amount of
assistance was being given by H.M. Ships to Allied
ex
prisoners o war in supplying bread and amenities.
The landing of victuals and supplies from
H.M. Ships for Prisoners of War ashore was a
considerable undertaking. Up to 150 allied
prisoners of war were
entertained on board NELSO, and in other ships in the
Fleet.

10. As a result of
these abnormal supplies ashore it looked at one time as
if the Fleet might have
to go short, but the arrival of the first V.S.I.S. FORT
MACDONALD safeguarded
this. A general all round stocking up
was then put in hand.

11. The Supreme
Allied Commander asked both Flag
Officer, Malaya
and
myself in assisting in evacuating the allied Prisoners
of war from Sumatra. Every
assistance
from the Fleet was offered and I sent a Staff Officer by
air, to see whether
the evacuation of Prisoners of War from there by sea
could be arranged in face
of the mined areas in the Palembang River and
entrance. But the R.A.F. and R.A.A.F.
provided transport aircraft and the evacuation of
Prisoners of War from Sumatra by air
made little transport by sea necessary.

12. Escort Vessels
under Captain East Indies Escorts of which about six
were based at Singapore
were used extensively to escort convoys through the
Singapore swept
Channels. A large number of convoys
sailed from Singapore
evacuating
Prisoners of War to India, United
Kingdom, Australia, and New
Zealand. Destroyers escorted the Australian bound
convoy to and from 115 degrees East.

13. The mail trips
which were being run between Trincomalee and Singapore
and vice versa
approximately every three days, calling at the Assault
Area, Penang, and Sabang en
route were of high morale value and the early
institution of the air mail service was much appreciated
by the Fleet.

14. Communications
caused a good deal of difficulty. Many
signals were received corrupt, some not at all, and many
were delayed a matter
of days. This was mostly due to the
setting up of a new signal organisation
ashore at
Singapore, but also to some extent due to the fact that
operators had been used
to figures (codes) and not word signals (plain
language).

15. Discipline
remained good; one Court Martial was held.

PART III

REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS 30th SEPTEMBER – 28th
OCTOBER

Sunday, 30th
September 1945

Having turned over the duties of Senior Naval
Officer
(Afloat), Singapore
to
Captain, East Indies Escort Forces, I sailed in NELSON
from Singapore at 1200
GH with Captain (D) 26th Destroyer Flotilla
in SAUMAREZ, and PALADIN
in company. Paravanes
were steamed at 1430.

2. At 0630 GH,
I detached Captain (D) 26th
Destroyer Flotilla in SAUMAREZ to Penang
for
mails, and PALADIN was detached at 1900 to Sabang
for
a similar reason.

3. At 1040, a white
floating object was sighted close to starboard and
PALADIN was sent to
investigate. PALADIN picked up a white
aircraft float, and as this might have been from one of
our aircraft, possibly
crashed recently, I reported it to you by signal.

Tuesday, 2nd
October 1945

Noon position 6035N, 94-35E

4. At 635 GH, paravanes
were recovered.

At 1200 GH, I received your signal asking me to
return to
Penang
to
investigate the trouble reported by Captain (D) 26th
Destroyer
Flotilla.

5. I therefore
decided to transfer to PALADIN and return in her to Penang.
Course was altered to 135 degrees accordingly
and PALADIN met at 1515 off Sabang.
I transferred by boat and hoisted my flag in
PALADIN at 1600. I instructed NELSON to
proceed to conform with her
previous programme.

Wednesday, 3rd
October 1945

6. PALADIN arrived at
Penang at 1030 and having
settled the
matter there (as reported verbally to you on the 8th
October), I
sailed SAMAREZ with VOLAGE in company for Trincomalee at
1630 and followed in
PALADIN half an hour later.

Saturday, 6th
October 1945

7. I arrived at
Trincomalee in PALADIN at 1830 FG and rehoisted
my
flag in NELSON. In view of the fact that
NELSON was sailing the next day, I asked the Rear
Admiral Commanding, 21st
Aircraft Carrier Squadron to continue to carry out the
duties of Senior Naval
Officer (Afloat).

Sunday, 7th October
1945

8. I sailed from
Trincomalee in NELSON at 1200 FG and proceeded by
coastal route to Colombo.
The passage was uneventful.

Monday, 8th October
1945

9. At 1300 FG, NELSON
arrived at Colombo
and
secured to buoys in the harbour.

Thursday, 11th
October 1945

10. I sailed at 1700
FG in NELSON for Kilindini. The passage
was uneventful and noon
positions
as follows:

12th
October
7-37N,
75-48E

13th
October
6-59N,
70-25E

14th
October
5-09N,
65-18E

15th
October
3-20N,
60-28E

16th
October
1-27N,
55-26E

17th
October
0-32S,
50-25E

18th
October
2-25S,
44-43E

11. The passage was
carried out in excellent weather and the ceremony of
crossing the line took
place with due ceremony and amusement on 17th
October in the
longitude of 51 degrees East.

19th
October 1945

Noon Position 4-06S, 39-53E

12. NELSON arrived at
Kilindini at 1500 and secured alongside the wharf.
H.M.S. HOWE (Captain H.W.U.
McCall, DSO, RN) was secured
to the buoys in the
stream. The Captain in Charge, Captain
Sir P.W. Bowyer-Smith, RN, paid his official call on me
at 1730 and I asked him
to continue the duties of the port during my stay.

13. I convened a Court
Martial on board NELSON on 20th October.

14. NELSON carried
out the necessary adjustments to complement with HOWE
during the stay. My staff
were
retained on board NELSON in accordance with your
signaled instructions and I
received your instructions to return to the United
Kingdom
in NELSON on 21st.

15. At 0730, 21st
October NELSON moved out to an anchor berth in
stream. Owing largely to the efforts of the
Captain
of the HOWE, the relations between the Navy and local
inhabitants were more
cordial than they had been in the past.
I entertained the Provisional Commissioner (Mr. V.T. McKeag)
and other local notables at lunch and received
hospitality in return.

Monday, 22nd
October 1945

16. At 1625 I sailed
in NELSON from Kilindini for the Suez
Canal. The noon
positions were as follows:

23rd
October
1-22S,
43-44E

24th
October
3-02N,
48-08E

25th
October
8-19N,
51-14E

26th
October
12-21N,
49-11E

27th
October
12-41N,
43-18E

Sunday, 28th
October 1945

17. NELSON passed out
of the East Indies Station into the Mediterranean
Station.